(Axios) Barak Ravid - The Biden administration has been quietly mediating the transfer of two strategic islands in the Red Sea from Egyptian to Saudi sovereignty. The White House wants an agreement to be reached before President Biden's upcoming trip to the Middle East at the end of June. Tiran and Sanafir islands control the Straits of Tiran - a strategic sea passage to the ports of Aqaba in Jordan and Eilat in Israel. Saudi Arabia gave Egypt control of the islands in 1950. They were later demilitarized as part of the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. Israel asked that Saudi Arabia allow Israeli airlines to cross more Saudi airspace, which would dramatically shorten flights to India, Thailand and China. After the Abraham Accords were announced, Saudi Arabia began to allow Israeli airlines to cross some of their eastern airspace for flights to the UAE and Bahrain. Israelis also want the Saudis to allow direct flights from Israel to Saudi Arabia for Muslims in Israel who want to go on pilgrimage to Mecca.
2022-05-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive