Dropping the demand that Saudi Arabia establish diplomatic relations with Israel would be a major concession by Washington. Under former US president Joe Biden, nuclear talks were an element of a wider US-Saudi deal tied to normalization and Riyadh’s goal of a defense treaty with Washington.
The kingdom has repeatedly said it would not recognize Israel without a guarantee of a viable path to a Palestinian state, frustrating Biden administration attempts to expand the Abraham Accords signed during Trump’s first term. Under those accords, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalized relations with Israel. Progress toward Saudi recognition of Israel has been halted by fury in Arab countries over the war raging in Gaza. The nuclear talks had also stumbled over Washington’s non-proliferation concerns. In a possible sign of a new approach, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that Saudi Arabia and the United States were on a “pathway” to a civil nuclear agreement when he visited the kingdom in April. (Ed note: I had to post this news twice!) (Read Morer)
