Did Riyadh just break off normalization talks with Israel? That’s according to the London-based news outlet Elaph, which reported last week that Saudi Arabia has told the US that it is stopping discussions because right-wing Israeli ministers were refusing to make concessions to the Palestinians, citing an official from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

Denials from Washington and Tel Aviv: A senior US official and an aide to Netanyahu both denied the news on Monday, according to Bloomberg.

Remember: The complex three-way agreement would see Saudi normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a security pact with the US and Israeli concessions to the Palestinians. However, there is “still much work to do,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told Reuters earlier this month.

Ankara pushes back against the India-Middle East trade corridor plan: Turkey is pushing back against the US-led push for a Asia-Europe trade route announced at the recent G20 gathering, and has proposed an alternative route dubbed the Iraq Development Road Initiative, according to the Financial Times.

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