Saudi Arabia must recognise Israel for nuclear deal, says Trump
The deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to help the Gulf kingdom develop nuclear energy is dependent on Riyadh recognising the State of Israel, President Donald Trump has said.
"The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!)…which pertains only to non-military use…will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords," Trump said on Truth Social.
It is not yet clear whether the condition of joining the accords was stipulated in the text of the nuclear deal— which has not been released—or whether Saudi Arabia had already agreed to that condition.
Saudi Arabia has not responded to Trump's remarks so far.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had discussed the condition with Saudi leaders previously. She added, "He has said if they don't join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off," and that the administration will continue conversations about the issue.
The U.S.–Saudi nuclear agreement, announced on Wednesday, could raise the risk of future proliferation in an already unstable region, raising concerns among experts. Some Republican and Democratic lawmakers voiced concerns, though the Republican controlled both chambers and opponents of the deal lack the votes to block it.
The U.S. Department of Energy describes the agreement as a "peaceful nuclear co‑operation agreement" and a "bilateral safeguards agreement", laying the legal foundation for a decades‑long, multi‑billion‑dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear non‑proliferation.
The agreement will be sent to the U.S. Congress for review. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it is aware of U.S. and Saudi plans for a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement and will implement verification measures.
During Trump’s first term, the UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords, normalising relations with Israel. Sudan, Morocco, and Kazakhstan have since joined. Saudi Arabia has previously said it would not join without a Palestinian state, but the White House has warned that the nuclear deal would be off if Riyadh does not join the accords.
Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office welcomed Trump’s statement, saying a Saudi accession to the Accords would be a historic leap forward for peace. However, former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman cautioned that every military nuclear programme begins with a civilian one.
The U.S.–Saudi deal is described as a "peaceful nuclear co‑operation agreement" that will provide "great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy programme".
The nuclear issue has been central to the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, which has for years denied Western accusations of a nuclear weapons agenda.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS News in 2018 that the Kingdom is not planning to acquire a nuclear weapon, though he said it would follow suit if Iran developed a bomb.
Some US media reports suggested the deal could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium in the future— a capability that can be used for civilian power plants but also to make nuclear bombs. Trump’s remarks appear to deny this possibility.
Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East programme at the US-based Defense Priorities think tank, said it would be "quite shocking" if the US allowed Saudi Arabia to build enrichment facilities. She added that the US has never helped another country enrich on its own soil, as doing so increases the risk of building nuclear weapons.
