Watan-The American network CNN has revealed details of a recent call between former President Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, as part of American efforts to reach a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

According to CNN, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina emerged as a key diplomatic channel between Mohammed bin Salman and the Biden administration.

However, Graham contacted both Mohammed bin Salman and former President Trump when the senator was in Saudi Arabia late last month.

Graham was in Saudi Arabia to discuss the potential deal that the Biden administration has been working on for over a year, which aims to normalize diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

CNN reported that Biden and his team of envoys found an unexpected ally in Graham, who offered Republican support for what could be a significant agreement, possibly including a Saudi-American defense pact and steps towards a two-state solution in Israel and Palestinian territories.

In March, Graham and Mohammed bin Salman spoke together with Trump for about five minutes, according to two sources familiar with the call.

Details of the Call

The conversation was friendly and mostly consisted of exchanging pleasantries and informal discussions about the American presidential elections, according to the same source.

One source said, “At some point, Trump promoted his own opinion poll numbers,” while the sources also stated that “the normalization agreement (between Israel and Saudi Arabia) was not raised even once” during that call.

According to the American network, the call illustrates how Trump looms on the horizon regarding an agreement that American, Israeli, and Saudi officials see as vital for achieving lasting stability in the Middle East.

While the former president remains informed about the discussions, he is “not engaged in them,” according to sources familiar with the matter.

The potential agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia is seen as an extension of the work accomplished by the Trump administration in normalizing relations between Arab states and Israel under the Abraham Accords of 2020, which witnessed diplomatic relations being established between the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Israel.

According to the American network, any new American treaty will need to be ratified by the Senate, expressing real concern among some participants in the current discussions that Trump may try to sabotage any deal for the Biden administration, as he did when Republican members of Congress urged not to support the bipartisan immigration deal earlier this year.

While those close to Trump say he believes he can negotiate a better deal with the Saudis if he returns to the White House, the former president also does not look forward to actively thwarting any type of normalization deal during Biden’s tenure, according to sources.

A source close to Trump said that this potential deal is not at the top of the former president’s priorities at all, adding that he must continue to focus on inflation, the economy, and crime.

Another source close to Trump stated that the former president and his team also realize that any attempt to hinder negotiations between the Biden administration and foreign leaders would be a violation of the Logan Act.

The Logan Act prohibits unauthorized American citizens from negotiating with foreign governments that are at odds with the United States. However, no one has been prosecuted under this law dating back to 1799.

White House Position

Two American officials said that Trump’s call with Mohammed bin Salman did not go over well in the White House, although they clarified that there is no evidence that it affected the talks between Biden’s envoys and their Saudi counterparts, which have been ongoing for months.

Graham informed Biden officials about that call, stating that they “understand why he wants to keep Trump informed.”

The senator himself said he is doing everything in his power to ensure the deal is struck during Biden’s tenure, partly because he believes Biden will have a better chance of rallying Democratic support in Congress.