Saudi Arabia puts normalization with Israel ‘on ice’, engages with Iran amid Gaza war: Report

Saudi Arabia has reportedly reconsidered its foreign policy priorities amid the Israeli onslaught against the besieged Gaza Strip by postponing a US-brokered normalization deal with the occupying entity and getting closer to Iran.

“Saudi Arabia is putting US-backed plans to normalize ties with Israel on ice,” two sources familiar with Riyadh’s thinking told Reuters on Friday, as war escalates between Israel and Palestinian resistance movements.

“The conflict has also pushed the kingdom to engage with Iran,” the sources added, stressing that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took his first phone call from Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi as Riyadh tries to prevent a broader surge in violence across the region.

The two sources described the delay in the US-backed talks on normalization with Israel as a “key step” for the kingdom to secure what Riyadh considers the real prize of a US military pact in exchange.