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The US has an important agenda to bring about major changes in the Middle East. Photo/Reuters
RIYADH – The administration of United States (US) President Joe Biden continues to make concerted efforts to achieve a “grand bargain” in the Middle East.
That includes normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, taking into account that the US could benefit greatly from doing so. Apart from that, a defense pact agreement such as NATO is also a prerequisite requested by Saudi Arabia.
President Joe Biden’s aides have made this diplomatic push a foreign policy priority despite varying degrees of skepticism among experts about whether the timing, conditions and current regional leadership are right to reach a major deal that could transform Middle East geopolitics.
This marks a dramatic turnaround for a president who spent much of his term avoiding deeper diplomatic engagement on the region’s problems. It raises questions about why he committed to such a challenging goal, what he hopes to gain, and whether he will achieve that goal if he has to pay too high a price.
Although US officials insist that no breakthrough is achievable, they privately tout its potential benefits, including eliminating the possibility of an Arab-Israeli conflict, strengthening regional bulwarks against Iran, and countering Chinese attacks in the Gulf. Biden would also score wins on foreign policy as he seeks re-election in November 2024.
Here are 7 changes if a major deal between Saudi Arabia and the US materializes.
1. Saudi Arabia will Have a Nuclear Program
Photo/Reuters
Efforts to mediate relations between longtime foes Israel and Saudi Arabia are at the heart of complex negotiations involving discussions over US security guarantees and civilian nuclear aid requested by Riyadh as well as Israeli concessions to the Palestinians.
“There are a lot of things that could go wrong, but if this happens, it will be an extraordinary achievement in foreign policy,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former deputy US national intelligence officer for the Middle East, who now serves on the Atlantic Council, as reported by Reuters. .
While the timetable remains uncertain, Biden aides believe there may be crucial time to reach a deal before the presidential campaign exhausts its agenda.
“We are actively negotiating,” said a US official who asked not to be named. “But there aren’t even any principles of what an agreement would look like at this point.”
2. Curbing China’s Influence in the Middle East
Photo/Reuters
The mix of elements driving the administration includes a sense of urgency over China’s efforts to gain a strategic foothold in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, as well as a US desire to restore ties with Riyadh, which Biden once vowed was a “pariah.”
