President Trump announced that approval of a civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia hinges on Riyadh’s participation in the Abraham Accords, which would require recognizing Israel. The president stated on Truth Social that the nuclear deal, designed exclusively for peaceful purposes without uranium enrichment, would only proceed if Saudi Arabia joins the accords.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had previously discussed this condition with Saudi leadership, emphasizing that the deal would be terminated if the kingdom declined to join the accords. However, the actual text of the nuclear agreement has not been publicly released, leaving ambiguity about whether this requirement was formally included in the accord’s provisions. Saudi Arabia has not yet responded to Trump’s announcement.
The underlying civil nuclear cooperation agreement, announced earlier this week, includes peaceful nuclear collaboration and bilateral safeguards measures. The US Department of Energy characterized it as laying the foundation for a decades-long partnership promoting nuclear nonproliferation, with the accord requiring congressional review. The International Atomic Energy Agency acknowledged awareness of the US-Saudi plans and indicated readiness to implement verification measures.
Saudi Arabia previously declared it would not sign the Abraham Accords without establishment of a Palestinian state. The accords, first signed by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during Trump’s previous presidency, have since been joined by Sudan, Morocco, and Kazakhstan. Israeli leadership welcomed Trump’s statement, with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office calling Saudi participation “an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East.”
The announcement has drawn scrutiny from nuclear security experts and some lawmakers concerned about proliferation risks in an already unstable region. Earlier media reports suggested the agreement could eventually permit Saudi uranium enrichment, though Trump’s statement appears to rule this out. Critics, including former Israeli defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, have expressed concern that civilian nuclear programs can serve as pathways to weapons development. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince previously indicated in 2018 that the kingdom would pursue nuclear weapons if Iran developed them.
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