Riyadh/Washington: The geopolitical chessboard of the Middle East is buzzing with activity as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) prepares for a scheduled visit to the United States. Ahead of his arrival, Riyadh has strategically conveyed its clear terms to Washington regarding normalization with Israel, directly addressing speculation fueled by US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims.
According to a report by Reuters, despite President Trump’s consistent assertions that Saudi Arabia has agreed to establish ties with Israel, such a breakthrough seems highly unlikely during the Crown Prince’s US visit this month. Sources indicate that Saudi Arabia has used diplomatic channels to make it clear that its fundamental position on relations with Israel remains unchanged. The Kingdom will only sign an agreement if a roadmap for recognizing a Palestinian state is provided. This effectively strengthens the Palestinian self-determination clause as the prerequisite for joining the Abraham Accords.
Potential Regional Earthquake: The establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, after decades of open hostility, would cause a geopolitical earthquake in the Middle East’s political and security landscape, likely deepening the US’s influence in the region.
Diplomatic sources explained that the purpose of sending this message was to avoid any diplomatic missteps or ambiguity and to ensure the positions of both Saudi Arabia and the US are perfectly aligned, preempting any misunderstandings before or after discussions at the White House. President Trump had previously boasted that Saudi Arabia would soon join the ranks of the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, who signed the Abraham Accords in 2020.
American think tank expert Panikoff believes that MBS is expected to use his influence more explicitly during talks with President Trump to push for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Context of the US Visit: The upcoming visit is particularly significant as it marks the Crown Prince’s first trip to the US since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. While MBS has denied any involvement in the assassination, the incident led to significant diplomatic strain.
