Top American and Saudi officials met in Washington last week to discuss a potential security agreement, according to sources cited in an Axios report on Monday. The discussions reportedly focused on a scaled-back security deal that does not include the normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The prospects for normalization between Riyadh and Jerusalem have cooled amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has drawn heightened global attention. Saudi Arabia has paused on forging diplomatic ties with Israel, as Israel has yet to outline a clear path toward a Palestinian state, a factor central to Riyadh’s considerations.

Despite these hurdles, Washington and Riyadh are reportedly exploring a more limited security arrangement that would provide some guarantees to Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration hopes to reach a deal before President Joe Biden’s term concludes in January, though this falls short of the full defense pact that Saudi Arabia initially sought. Last week, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan indicated that Riyadh could move forward on certain bilateral agreements with the US, even if a broader accord involving Israel remains elusive.

The Biden administration has actively worked to broker an Israeli-Saudi normalization agreement as part of a larger US diplomatic initiative in the Middle East. Those efforts encountered setbacks following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and saw 251 hostages taken to Gaza.

Addressing the Knesset on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to peace with Arab nations, citing the 2020 Abraham Accords, which established formal relations between Israel and several Gulf nations under the auspices of then-US President Donald Trump.

“I aspire to continue the process… to achieve peace with other Arab countries,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing the importance of “peace out of strength.”

Saudi Arabia has not yet joined the Abraham Accords, and normalization remains a sensitive topic in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently embarked on a tour of the Middle East, with stops in Tel Aviv and Riyadh, as Washington seeks to strengthen diplomatic ties and support stability amid the conflict.

“There remains, despite everything that’s happened, an incredible opportunity in this region to move in a totally different direction,” Blinken commented before departing Israel, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in any potential realignment.

Meanwhile, Saudi National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban also visited Washington, where he met with Blinken, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and key Biden administration advisers.

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