US President Donald Trump says Saudi Arabia must recognise Israel before Washington approves a civilian nuclear agreement with the Gulf kingdom.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stressed that the proposed deal would only support peaceful nuclear energy. He also insisted it 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 Abraham Accords, brokered during Trump’s first term, normalised relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and Kazakhstan.
Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained it will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state. Riyadh has not yet responded to Trump’s latest remarks.
Israel welcomed the statement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described Saudi participation in the accords as “an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East.”
The announcement follows concerns from nuclear experts who warned the agreement could increase future proliferation risks in the region.
Earlier reports suggested Saudi Arabia might eventually be allowed to enrich uranium. Trump, however, appeared to reject that possibility.
The agreement will now be submitted to the US Congress for review. Although some lawmakers are expected to oppose it, Republicans currently control both chambers, making approval more likely.
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