Biden: An Agreement May Be on the Way with Saudi Arabia

U.S. President Joe Biden indicated on Friday that an agreement may be in the works with Saudi Arabia, following discussions held by his national security adviser with Saudi officials in Jeddah, aimed at normalizing relations between the kingdom and Israel. Biden stated at a fundraising event for his election campaign in Maine, "There may be an ongoing rapprochement," but he did not provide any details about the potential agreement. White House officials reported that U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, one of Biden's most trusted aides, was in Jeddah this week with Middle East envoy Brett McGurk to discuss the possibility of reaching a normalization agreement. The New York Times published an article by Thomas Friedman on Thursday, stating that Biden is considering whether to proceed with a security agreement with Saudi Arabia that includes normalizing relations between the kingdom and Israel. U.S. officials believe it is possible to reach an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, following similar agreements made by former President Donald Trump's administration with Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain, and the UAE.