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Reports: Israel, Saudi officials discuss Biden’s plans to rejoin Iran nuclear deal

February 25, 2021 at 10:00 am

US President Joe Biden at the White House Washington, DC on 26 January 2021 [Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images]

Senior officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia have recently held a series of calls to discuss US President Joe Biden’s administration’s plans to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, Israeli media outlets reported.

Israeli Broadcasting Corporation Kan reported on Tuesday that the Saudis expressed their concerns about the new American administration’s stance on human rights issues in the kingdom.

Last month, Israel’s Wallah news site reported that Israel intends to use its influence in the United States to push the Biden administration not to pressure Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE on human rights issues, under the pretext that it may negatively impact the progress achieved in normalising relations between Arab countries and Tel Aviv.

Despite the absence of official relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, media outlets claim the two countries have maintained secret talks in recent years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman were reported to have met in the Saudi city of Neom on 22 November, in the presence of former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

READ: Over 20 ex-Israel officials back US return to Iran nuclear deal