Did Riyadh 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 US has been working to broker a detente between the US and Saudi Arabia, and Netanyahu has affirmed that the two countries can work together towards establishing an economic corridor to benefit the region even before it normalizes ties with the kingdom.

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. The Biden administration is reportedly hopeful that an agreement can be struck within the next nine to 12 months, as we’ve reported earlier.

WATCH THIS SPACE- Biden and Netanyahu were scheduled to meet yesterday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the potential Israel-Saudi normalization agreement and potential ways to counter Iran’s nuclear program, Reuters reports.

ALSO WORTH KNOWING-

  • Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and his Grenadian counterpart Joseph Andall discussed waysto boost cooperationin trade, and inked a statement to establish diplomatic relations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York. (BNA)
  • Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed Al Thani met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland Leo Varadkar to discuss cooperation in energy and trade. (QNA)
  • Omani Foreign Minist er Sayyid al Busaidi and Solomon Island’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Jeremiah Manelli signed a statement to kickstart diplomatic relations between both countries. (ONA)
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