President Donald Trump announced that a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will only proceed if Saudi Arabia normalizes relations with Israel. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the deal, which concerns non-military nuclear facilities and does not include uranium enrichment, would be approved but is entirely dependent on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords. The Abraham Accords are normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, brokered during Trump's first term.
The agreement, signed between the U.S. Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, mirrors civilian nuclear arrangements that Iran and the United Arab Emirates already have, according to Trump. A report earlier this week indicated that Trump had approved a 30-year civil nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia. However, Trump's latest statement appears to condition the deal on diplomatic progress with Israel.
The U.S. Department of Energy said the accord will be sent to Congress for review. The announcement marks a shift in the administration's approach to the Saudi nuclear deal, linking it to broader Middle East peace efforts.