Saudi Arabia pushes for US defense pact as 2024 presidential election looms

Saudi Arabia is seeking to secure a defense pact with the United States ahead of the 2024 presidential election, signaling that it will relax its demands for Palestinian statehood.

Still, Saudi Arabia is increasingly keen to shore up its security and ward off threats from rival Iran, so the kingdom can forge ahead with its ambitious plan to transform its economy and attract huge foreign investment, two regional sources said. Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more. 

Riyadh’s diplomatic push comes amid growing concerns over the military reach of Iran, which has proxies in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. 

To create some wiggle room in talks about recognizing Israel and to get the U.S. pact back on track, Saudi officials have told their U.S. counterparts that Riyadh would not insist Israel take concrete steps to create a Palestinian state and would instead accept a political commitment to a two-state solution, two senior regional sources told Reuters.