US plays down speculation over possible deal on Saudi-Israel normalization

Washington, (The Palestine Information Centre)The United States has played down speculation over a possible deal to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, saying that more discussions are needed for such an agreement to be reached.

White House spokesperson John Kirby made the remarks on Wednesday, saying the two sides have not agreed on a shared framework for negotiations yet.

“There’s still a lot of discussing to happen here,” he added.

Kirby’s remarks came shortly after the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials, reported earlier in the day that Washington and Riyadh had agreed on a general outline of an Israeli-Saudi Arabia normalization deal.

“I think… just to be blunt here, the reporting has left some people with the impression that the discussions are further along and closer to a sense of certainty than they are,” Kirby said.