U.S. President Donald Trump has said that a civilian nuclear energy agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia can only be finalized if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords and recognizes Israel.
“The civilian nuclear energy agreement (there will be no enrichment of materials!)… which concerns only non-military use… will be approved, but it is completely conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Trump’s comments come amid concerns from experts that a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia could increase the risk of nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region.
The nuclear issue has been one of the central points of tension during the months-long confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran, as Washington and its allies seek to prevent Tehran from expanding its nuclear capabilities.
The Abraham Accords were launched in 2020 under Trump’s first administration and led to the normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Since then, Morocco and Sudan have also established diplomatic ties with Israel.
Saudi Arabia, one of the most influential countries in the Arab world, has so far resisted formally recognizing Israel, linking any potential normalization agreement to broader regional issues, including the situation of Palestinians.
Trump’s latest statement places Israeli-Saudi normalization at the center of future U.S.-Saudi cooperation on nuclear energy and strategic relations.
