Biden Says Reached Deal With Saudi Arabia On Development Of Tiran Island

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2022) The United States and Saudi Arabia reached a deal to move international security forces off of Tiran Island in the Red Sea and open it up for greater tourism and development, US President Joe Biden said on Friday.

"We concluded a historic deal to transform a flashpoint at the heart of the middle East wars into an area of peace. International peacekeepers, including US troops, will leave Tiran Island in the Red Sea, where they've been for over 40 years since the Camp David Accords," Biden said during a press conference.

The island will become more open to tourism and economic development while retaining necessary security arrangements as a result of the deal, Biden added.

The Egyptian government in 2016 approved a maritime demarcation deal to transfer the islands of Turin and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. The islands are located at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba and could potentially be used to construct a bridge across the Red Sea.