President Donald Trump said the newly signed US-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement will move forward only if Saudi Arabia establishes diplomatic relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords, adding a new condition that was not included when the agreement was first announced.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.” He also said the deal would not allow the kingdom to enrich nuclear material on its own territory.
President Trump’s statement introduced a condition that was absent from the original announcement of the civilian nuclear program. It was not immediately clear how the administration would alter a legal agreement already signed with the Saudi government.
Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that normalization with Israel depends on clear progress toward the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Saudi Energy Ministry declined to immediately comment on the conditions Trump attached to the agreement.
The Biden administration also pursued discussions on a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, but similarly linked such an arrangement to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
According to the agreement, Saudi Arabia will build nuclear power plants using US technology, creating a pathway to a Saudi nuclear enrichment program. The proposal has prompted debate in Congress, where lawmakers have raised concerns that permitting additional countries to develop uranium enrichment capabilities could eventually increase the number of states possessing nuclear weapons.
Before Trump’s Truth Social post tying the agreement to normalization with Israel, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett criticized the emerging deal, calling it a strategic setback for Israel.
“The nuclear agreement that is coming together with Saudi Arabia, over Israel’s head, is a serious strategic failure that endangers our security,” said Bennett, who is seeking to unseat Netanyahu in an October 27 election.
“Nuclear enrichment on Saudi soil could lead to a regional nuclear race and a dangerous loss of control.”
