Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Biden Set to 'Put a Little More Distance' in Relations With Israel, Focus on Iran

Biden Set to 'Put a Little More Distance' in Relations With Israel, Focus on Iran

The approach of the new US administration will reportedly be different from what former president Donald Trump had pursued - namely, embracing ties with Saudi Arabia and Israel.

US priorities in the Middle East are set to change under US President Joe Biden, shifting slightly from Israel towards Iran, The Times of Israel reported.

According to Aaron David Miller, an-ex State Department Middle East analyst, “with both Israel and Saudi Arabia, relationships that Trump basically decided to rehabilitate in the wake of Obama, you have a Biden administration that is prepared to put a little more distance, although not in symmetrical proportion.”

Similarly, the Palestinian issue will not be a priority for the new administration either, Miller tweeted in response to the State Department's pledge to attend to Israel's security.



Miller also said that Biden could be waiting until the results of the election in Israel - the fourth one in two years - in which there is a possibility that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be voted out.

“This is a signal that it’s not business as usual with the way Trump dealt with the Israelis,” Miller said.

During his first foreign policy speech on Thursday, Biden spoke about “revitalizing” US alliances, but ties with Israel were not mentioned among these. Also, Biden has yet to reach out to Netanyahu via an official phone conversation.



Speaking on Iran, Miller said that Washington could be signaling it was not “running after Tehran.” Biden previously vowed to return to the United States to the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. Trump abandoned the JCPOA in 2018, reinstating harsh sanctions on Tehran as part of a “maximum pressure campaign.”

On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that Washington does not have much time for taking positive steps toward rejoining the JCPOA. At the same time, the minister noted that he saw no need in launching direct talks between Iran and the US to discuss the issue.

Zarif has also ruled out any revisions to the original deal - as Biden suggested expanding the agreement - and insisted that Washington remove the sanctions first.

In response to the killing of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran has passed a law to increase its uranium enrichment to 20 percent and stop UN inspections of its nuclear sites. In January, Tehran began working on the production of uranium metal.

Biden also announced on Thursday that the United States was stopping all support for the Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen, but would continue to defend its ally against other threats. He stated, however, that Saudi Arabia “remains a partner in terms of combating terror in the region.”

DAY 54 - In this March 14, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Defense Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington


As a follow-up, the White House reportedly paused proposed arms sales worth $760 million to Saudi Arabia, which had included 3,000 GBU-39 Stormbreaker “small diameter bombs”.

On Inauguration Day, Netanyahu was among the first to congratulate the new president of the United States, expressing hopes that the 78-year-old would build upon the Trump-brokered peace deals and calling on him to cooperate with Israel in confronting Iran.



The Trump administration had long prepared its reconciliation plan for the Middle East, which Trump touted as having led to several Arab nations agreeing to normalize ties with Israel, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The rapprochement was met with harsh criticism in Palestine.

Back in 2016, in what was an unusual rebuke of the US' long-term ally in the Middle East, Biden shared his “overwhelming frustration” with the Israeli government, saying that Washington should “push [Tel Aviv] as hard as we can” toward a two-state solution.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×