Riyadh informed Washington it would not allow U.S. military aircraft to operate from Prince Sultan Air Base and would also deny use of its airspace for the mission.
Saudi Arabia's renewed anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric shows that the kingdom is moving away from normalization with Israel in favor of an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar and Turkey.
'This is not a breakthrough, but another stage in the tightening relationship between the two countries,' said Michal Yaari, an expert on the Arab Gulf states.
The Saudis are worried that Biden will lift sanctions on Iran, releasing frozen funds in banks abroad that will be used to pursue nuclear weapons, fund terror groups, and direct proxy armies.