Trump Says Saudi Arabia Must Join Abraham Accords for Nuclear Deal
US President Donald Trump has announced that the proposed civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will only move ahead if Riyadh agrees to join the Abraham Accords and formally recognizes the State of Israel.
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump clarified that the agreement is strictly intended for peaceful civilian purposes and will not allow Saudi Arabia to enrich nuclear material.
“The Civil Nuclear Deal… 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 wrote.
Civil Nuclear Cooperation Focuses on Peaceful Energy
The agreement, announced earlier this week, is designed to expand cooperation between the US and Saudi Arabia in the field of civilian nuclear energy. According to the US Department of Energy, the partnership would create new opportunities for American companies to participate in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program.
Trump emphasized that the deal does not include uranium enrichment, addressing concerns raised by security experts who warned that such technology could increase the risk of nuclear weapons development in the future.
Saudi Arabia Has Yet to Respond
Saudi Arabia has not officially commented on Trump’s latest statement. It also remains unclear whether joining the Abraham Accords is a formal condition written into the nuclear agreement, as the complete text of the deal has not been made public.
The kingdom has consistently maintained that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is created through a negotiated peace process.
Israel Welcomes Trump’s Position
Israel reacted positively to Trump’s remarks. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords as a major step toward strengthening peace and stability in the Middle East.
Although the Israeli government did not directly comment on the nuclear agreement itself, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat recently said that Israel could accept Saudi Arabia developing nuclear energy as long as it remains exclusively for peaceful civilian use.
Background of the Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords were introduced by Donald Trump in 2020 and resulted in the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. Later, Sudan, Morocco, and Kazakhstan also became part of the agreement.
Saudi Arabia has so far stayed outside the accords despite ongoing diplomatic discussions.
Nuclear Concerns in the Middle East
The proposed US-Saudi nuclear partnership comes at a time when nuclear security remains a major issue in the Middle East, particularly amid tensions involving Iran.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a 2018 interview that Saudi Arabia does not seek nuclear weapons. However, he also warned that if Iran were to develop a nuclear bomb, Saudi Arabia would quickly pursue the same capability.
Earlier reports suggested the agreement might eventually allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, but Trump’s latest statement appears to rule out that possibility.
US Congress to Review the Agreement
The civil nuclear agreement will now be submitted to the US Congress for review. While some lawmakers from both major political parties have expressed concerns, Republicans currently hold control of both chambers, making it unlikely that the deal will be blocked.
