The United States has indicated that it is on the verge of finalising an agreement with Saudi Arabia concerning the bilateral aspects of the broader Israel normalisation deal.
“We are very close to reaching an agreement on the bilateral pieces of a normalisation agreement. There are few details that we have to continue to work through, but we think we can reach agreement on those details in very short order,” stated State Department spokesman Matthew Miller during a briefing with reporters.
Miller emphasised that while progress is being made, there are still aspects to address, particularly concerning a proposed pathway to a Palestinian State.
“We have been very clear, Saudi Arabia has been very clear that this is a package deal that would include a bilateral component, and also include a path to two states,” Miller reiterated, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s stance on normalisation with Israel, which requires a peaceful situation in Gaza and a viable path towards Palestinian statehood.
These statements followed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s return from a three-day visit to the Middle East, during which he held discussions in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel.