Former President Donald J. Trump spoke recently with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, their first publicly disclosed conversation since Mr. Trump left office in January 2021, according to two people briefed on the discussion who were not authorized to speak publicly about it.
It was unclear what the two men discussed and whether it was their only conversation since Mr. Trump’s departure from the White House.
Neither representatives for Mr. Trump nor an official of the Saudi government responded to requests for comment.
If President Biden manages to clinch a trilateral megadeal — which would probably include a Saudi-Israeli peace agreement, an Israeli commitment to a two-state solution, a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty and U.S.-Saudi understandings on a civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia — he will need support from two-thirds of senators to ratify the U.S.-Saudi treaty.
Mr. Trump, as the presumptive Republican nominee in firm command of his party, could potentially either block any deal or greenlight it for congressional Republicans.
Persons:
Donald J, Trump, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump’s, Biden, Saudi Arabia —
Organizations:
Mr, U.S ., Republican, Republicans
Locations:
Saudi, Israel, U.S, Saudi Arabia