Biden’s Middle East tour

President Biden arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to kick off a four-day trip to the Middle East, which includes visits with the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern nations.

📝 A deeper dive… The overall trip is focused mainly on furthering Israel’s integration into the rest of the Arab world, a process that made great strides with the signing of the Abraham Accords under former President Trump, and rallying countries against their common enemy: Iran.

• Biden’s first major announcement came yesterday, when the US and Israel signed a joint agreement pledging to be "prepared to use all elements of national power" to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
• Separately, Israel’s government also approved the parameters of a deal that would see the transfer of two strategic Red Sea islands from Egypt to Saudi Arabia. Analysts say the move increases the likelihood of a historic normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

👀 Looking ahead… Over the next two days, Biden will meet with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, hold bilateral meetings with other Middle Eastern leaders, and deliver a speech at a summit of Arab nations.

🔋 Zoom out: Earlier this week, Iran announced that it’s begun enriching uranium at levels up to 20%. Weapons-grade material requires 90% enrichment, but experts say the move from low- to high-grade uranium can be made in just a few weeks.