The United States and Saudi Arabia are close to signing a defence deal.
This depends on the success of diplomatic efforts between the two countries, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials.
According to the officials, the success of the diplomatic efforts depends on ‘Israel’s commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state’ and an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, while an end to the conflict is not a prerequisite.
As the publication noted, the defence agreement will strengthen Saudi Arabia’s regional position and reinforce the US military role in the Middle East. The sources point out that the draft agreement is largely modelled on the security guarantee agreement between the United States and Japan.