US-Saudi defence pact tied to Israel deal, Palestinian demands put aside

Saudi Arabia is determined to secure a military pact requiring the United States to defend the Kingdom in return for opening ties with Israel and will not hold up a deal even if Israel does not offer major concessions to Palestinians in their bid for statehood, three regional sources familiar with the talks said, Reuters reports. A pact might fall short of the cast-iron, NATO-style defence guarantees the Kingdom initially sought when the issue was first discussed between Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, and Joe Biden during the US President's visit to Saudi Arabia in July 2022. Instead, a US…