US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday as he renews his bid to broker diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
“There remains, despite everything that’s happened, an incredible opportunity in this region to move in a totally different direction,” he said before leaving Tel Aviv.
“Saudi Arabia would be right at the heart of that, and that includes potentially normalisation of relations with Israel,” he added.
Blinken’s visit to the region is his 11th since the start of the war in Gaza and his first since Israel-Hezbollah violence escalated into all-out war late last month.
The Gaza war halted tentative moves towards an agreement dubbed the “mega-deal”, under which Saudi Arabia would recognise Israel in exchange for a defence pact and help on a civil nuclear programme.
After meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials in Israel, Blinken said “now is the time” to end the conflict in Gaza.
“Since October 7 a year ago, Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza… Now is the time to turn those successes into enduring, strategic success,” he said.
Add Comment