Saudi Arabia has switched its plans about getting a big defense deal with the US‚ as regional events changed the game-plan. The kingdom which wanted a full-scale treaty now looks for a less-complex military partnership
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shifted his position on Israel ties due to current events in Gaza. The original idea to get US protection in exchange for normalizing Israel relations dont work anymore: Saudiʼs want clear steps toward Palestinian statehood
The new deal focuses on practical stuff: joint military training expanded partnerships with defense companies and tech sharing (especially for drone-defense). The US would put more people in Riyadh for training cyber-security and maybe add a Patriot missile unit; however this wont be like the defense deals America has with Japan or Korea
How can we imagine a region integrated if we sidestep the Palestinian issue? You cant prevent the Palestinian right to self-determination
The situation gets more complex with the upcoming White-house changes. Donald Trump might return to power - and his past Middle-east plans from 4 years ago didnt include Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile Benjamin Netanyahu faces push-back at home after recent attacks making any peace moves hard
The US-Saudi talks now aim to get something done before 01/25 but face several road-blocks:
- Nuclear cooperation stalled due to enrichment rights
- Human rights articles caused disagreement
- Congressional approval needs Israel recognition
- Chinese influence remains a worry
Both sides keep talking but the deal looks different than what was planned about 6 months ago. A senior Saudi expert says theyʼll get some military help but nothing close to the big treaty they wanted at first