Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan postpones meeting with Saudi Crown Prince MBS because he cracked his rib: High-level talks over Israel delayed as fury grows over aid worker strike

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has postponed plans to travel to Saudi Arabia later this week as he recovers from a cracked rib following a minor accident.

Sullivan had been scheduled to travel to the Middle East on Thursday where he was to hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid a U.S. push for progress toward normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The injury 'has affected his ability to travel,' White House spokesperson John Kirby said in a briefing with reporters. 'This was a minor accident of his own. It was not caused by anybody. It was not the result of a nefarious act.'

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan postponed a trip to Saudi Arabia due to a cracked rib

Kirby said the trip would be rescheduled but did not give a date. 

Normalization efforts had been put on hold amid Israel's war with Hamas following the terrorist group's attack last October but the U.S. has been trying to jump start talks. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Saudi Arabia last month to meet with the crown prince and the Saudi prime minister.

On the trip, Blinken 'reaffirmed the United States' commitment to achieve an enduring end to the crisis in Gaza and to the establishment of a future Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.'

Sullivan was to meet with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman about normalizing relations between Saudi and Israel

Normalization talks have been placed on hold since the October attack on Israel by Hamas - above aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed by an Israeli attack in Gaza

As part of a normalization deal, Saudi Arabia wants to clinch a mutual defense pact with Washington and get U.S. support for its civil nuclear program.  

The U.S. hopes that if they reach an agreement with Saudi Arabia they can present it to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose would have to agree to a two-state solution.

'There has been lot of progress in the talks between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia about their draft defense treaty. They want to have their side of the deal ready and then put it on our table and say, 'Take it or leave it,' a senior Israeli official told Axios. 

Even if the U.S. reaches a deal with the Saudis, a defense treaty would have to be ratified by the Senate.