Yousef Al Otaiba with Mike Pompeo
Yousef Al Otaiba with Mike PompeoReuters

The ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, was interviewed by the Maariv newspaper, and put a damper on Israeli hopes for an impending peace deal with either Sudan or Oman.

According to Al Otaiba, who played a key role in promoting Israel's recent treaty with his country, neither Sudan nor Oman is in any hurry to normalize its relations with Israel.

Oman has a relatively new Sultan in power, and Sudan is in the midst of a political transition in advance of elections, making any bold move less likely.

He also estimated that Sudan would demand a far higher price of the United States than that demanded by the UAE in return for coming to an agreement with Israel.