Sullivan, Saudi crown prince discuss security agreement
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with the Saudi crown prince over the weekend to discuss a security agreement between the two countries.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency said Sullivan and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman talked about a “semi-final” version of a security agreement, The Associated Press (AP) reported. A security deal between the two countries was upended last year following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that prompted widespread war in the Gaza Strip.
“The semi-final version of the draft strategic agreements between the kingdom and the United States of America, which are almost being finalized — and what is being worked on between the two sides in the Palestinian issue to find a credible path — were discussed,” the statement released by Saudi state media reads, according to AP.
The AP noted that the Saudi Press Agency did not release any photos of the two officials speaking. There was no immediate statement released by the U.S. about the discussions as of Sunday morning.
Saudi Arabia stepped away from discussions about an agreement following the outbreak of the war in Gaza. However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to the country earlier this year and said the crown prince told him normalization was still possible.
“He and virtually every other leader I talked to supports moving forward with integration, normalization, whatever you want to call it,” Blinken said in an NBC interview. “But of course, the conflict in Gaza needs to end, and there has to be a pathway for Palestinian rights.”
The Biden administration announced that Sullivan would be traveling to Saudi Arabia on Saturday "to discuss bilateral and regional matters, including the war in Gaza and ongoing efforts to achieve a lasting peace and security in the region."
He heads to Israel on Sunday where he will meet with senior Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to talk about the ongoing war and “ongoing negotiations” to release hostages being held by Hamas.
The Associated Press contributed.