Blinken signals progress in Saudi-Israel normalisation efforts

The United States and Saudi Arabia have made "good progress" in talks on normalising ties between the kingdom and Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said without providing a timeline for concluding a deal.

"I believe we can reach an agreement, which would present a historic opportunity for two nations, but also for the region as a whole," Blinken said on Thursday at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.

Talks on normalisation had been put on ice in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 surprise blitz by Palestinian Hamas resistance fighters and Israel's bloody onslaught on besieged Gaza, but conversations have resumed in recent months.

While trying to forge a ceasefire in the Gaza war, the Biden administration has been working to secure a normalisation deal.

Riyadh is looking to clinch a mutual defence pact with Washington and get US support for its civil nuclear programme. Blinken discussed the topics on Wednesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah during an official visit.

"We had a very good discussion about the work that we've been doing for many months now on normalisation, and that work is moving forward. We're continuing to make good progress," Blinken said but added that he could not offer a timeframe.

Earlier a senior State Department official said on Washington and Riyadh were down to a handful of bilateral issues and there was political will to address those gaps.

A pact giving the world's biggest oil exporter US military protection in exchange for normalisation would reshape the Middle East by uniting two long-time foes and binding Riyadh to Washington at a time when China is making inroads in the region.

Netanyahu's objections

For such a deal to advance, Israel needs to agree to a pathway for creation of an independent Palestinian state, a prospect that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.

Washington sees any normalisation deal woven into post-war planning that would include Arab countries providing security guarantees for Israel in return for the creation of a Palestinian state under a reformed Palestinian Authority.

Blinken did not say how Washington would overcome Netanyahu's objections to creation of a Palestinian state, but said the ongoing violence benefited Iran.

"The perpetuation of this cycle only benefits Iran and the proxies that are working for it. So I think as that choice is clear, people will begin to really think about it and make decisions," Blinken said.

Until October 7, both Israeli and Saudi leaders had been saying they were moving steadily toward a deal that could have reshaped the Middle East.

Five months of Israeli relentless bombing in the densely populated Gaza enclave have triggered starvation and food shortages. The head of the World Health Organisation said only opening more border crossings for trucks carrying aid could prevent famine in Gaza.