A pact might fall short of the cast-iron, Nato-style defence guarantees the kingdom initially sought when the issue was first discussed between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Joe Biden during the US President's visit to Saudi Arabia in July 2022. Washington could also sweeten any deal by designating Saudi Arabia a Major Non-Nato Ally, a status already given to Israel, the US source said. "The normalisation will be between Israel and Saudi Arabia. If the Palestinians oppose it the kingdom will continue in its path," said one of the regional sources. "Saudi Arabia supports a peace plan for the Palestinians, but this time it wanted something for Saudi Arabia, not just for the Palestinians."

Source: The Telegraph September 30, 2023 07:51 UTC