OFFICIALS familiar with the negotiations said that a defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United States is near completion.
Administration officials familiar with the matter said the first phase of the deal will not include Israel. The ongoing negotiations are part of a Plan B after the Israel-Hamas war that erupted on October 7 ruined the initial plan for peace talks.
The security deal between Riyadh and Washington will eventually include Israel.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller earlier this month said both sides are close to reaching an agreement.
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan insisted that normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel was necessary before the Biden administration entered a defense pact with the oil-rich kingdom.
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month announced that Washington and Riyadh have done intensive work together on Israel-Saudi normalization. Blinken noted a security agreement with Saudi Arabia would be offered if the Gulf nation entered a peace deal with Israel.
The high-stakes negotiations took place following reports that Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 to prevent a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and the Jewish state from happening.
