WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States will move forward with a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, but only if the kingdom agrees to join the Abraham Accords.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the proposed agreement would allow Saudi Arabia to develop civilian nuclear facilities for non-military purposes and would not permit uranium enrichment.
“The Civil Nuclear Deal… will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.
The announcement came one day after U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement. The agreement, announced by the U.S. Department of Energy, did not initially mention Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords as a condition.
The proposed deal must still be reviewed by Congress, and it remains unclear how Trump’s new condition could affect the agreement.
Saudi Arabia has long maintained that it will not normalize relations with Israel until there is a clear pathway toward establishing a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office welcomed the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, calling it a significant opportunity to expand peace in the Middle East.
