The US and Saudi Arabia are exploring a potential security agreement independent of a broader deal with Israel, three sources familiar with the discussions told Axios’ Barak Ravid on Monday.
While the proposed agreement falls short of the full defense treaty previously discussed by the US and Saudi Arabia, both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) and the White House are aiming to finalize a security deal before President Joe Biden’s term ends in January, according to the report.
Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban recently visited the White House, meeting with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan and Biden advisors Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein, according to sources. Al-Aiban also held discussions with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The talks primarily focused on US-Saudi bilateral relations, with emphasis on a series of security, technology, and economic agreements that both countries aim to sign before the end of Biden’s term. According to one source, the security agreement discussed was separate from the broader mega-deal that would include Saudi-Israel normalization.
The plan is to draft a U.S.-Saudi bilateral security agreement similar to those recently signed by the US with other Gulf nations, thereby reinforcing the US presence in the region, according to the report.
"Saudi Arabia is part of that and likely to also have something," one source said.
The White House and the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, DC, declined to comment on the Axios report.
While Saudi Arabia and Israel appeared to be on track towards normalization before Hamas’ attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Saudi Arabia put the US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice shortly after that attack and the war in Gaza which followed.
In September, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that an "independent Palestinian state" was essential for normalization.
The Axios report comes several days after Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, stated that Riyadh could potentially act "quite quickly" on some bilateral agreements with Washington, even if a comprehensive deal involving the recognition of Israel is not achieved.
Prince Faisal reiterated that normalization with Israel was "off the table until we have a resolution to Palestinian statehood" but noted that agreements in other areas could still move forward soon.