A scaled back military agreement with the US?

The government is reportedly moving toward a limited military agreement with the US, shifting away from earlier talks about a full-scale defense treaty with Washington in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel, Reuters reports citing two Saudi and four Western officials.

But, why? Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reportedly (once again) made Saudi recognition of Israel contingent upon tangible steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state, amid rising public outrage across the Middle East over Israel’s military actions in Gaza, the newswire added, citing two Saudi and three Western sources.

Security assurances: The agreement would reportedly seek to foster Saudi investment in advanced technologies, particularly in drone defense. In return, the US would enhance its presence in Riyadh, offering training, logistical support, and cyber security assistance, while potentially deploying a Patriot missile battalion for missile defense and integrated deterrence.

“Saudi Arabia will get a security [agreement] which will allow more military cooperation and sales of US weapons, but not a defense treaty similar to that of Japan or South Korea as initially sought,” said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Gulf Research Institute think-tank in Saudi Arabia.