US President Donald Trump has stated that a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia is conditional on the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel. However, sources familiar with the negotiations say that during months of talks, the issue of diplomatic recognition of Israel was never raised as a requirement.
Trump made the statement on social media, saying the deal is "totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords." The Abraham Accords are agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
But according to current and former US officials, normalization was not discussed in dozens of exchanges between American and Saudi officials since November 2025. One source said, "Normalisation was never listed as a condition. Not once."
The nuclear deal was signed on Wednesday, and Trump's post came less than 24 hours later. The statement reportedly surprised US and Arab officials, especially since Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had spoken that same day, as did the top diplomats of both countries.
The civilian nuclear agreement would allow the US to help Saudi Arabia develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The Trump administration now says that deal is tied to Saudi recognition of Israel, but officials involved in the talks say that condition was never part of the discussions.