‘Riyadh Demanding Arms Deal With US In Exchange For Normalizing With Israel’

An Israeli daily claims a new arms deal with the US and having a uranium enrichment program are among Saudi demands to normalize ties with Israel.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday that such a deal would give Saudi Arabia the most advanced arms in the American weapons arsenal.

Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported Tuesdaythe Saudis are also reportedly demanding that the White House unfreeze some Trump-era weapons deals that were frozen when US President Joe Biden took office, and are also seeking a defense treaty with the US similar to NATO as well as its stamp of approval for a civilian nuclear program.

Israel would receive full US support for its actions against Iran's nuclear program in exchange for a full normalization deal, the report claimed.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan are involved in the negotiations with Mossad chief David Barnea and "very senior officials" close to bin Salman.

National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi on Tuesday denied that Netanyahu and bin Salman have been in direct contact in recent months, but said a normalization deal is possible.

“There is in Saudi Arabia a leader that the world has never seen before, a man who took his country 180 degrees in a different direction, a bold and revolutionary leader,” Hanegbi said. “If he thinks that it is possible to reach normalization with Israel, it will happen. I believe there is a chance this will happen.”

Some observers viewed Saudi Arabia's decision to re-establish ties with Iran in March as a setback to normalization between the kingdom and Israel.