Trump ties Saudi civilian nuclear deal to Israel normalization, casting uncertainty on agreement

Published Jul 24, 03:00 PM UTC

The US-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement, signed this week, was thrown into uncertainty after President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that the deal is contingent on Saudi Arabia establishing diplomatic ties with Israel. Trump linked the condition to the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states during his first term. The condition was not specified when the deal was announced. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the move as a 'historic leap for peace,' while Saudi officials have previously resisted linking nuclear cooperation to recognition of Israel. The deal, which allows Riyadh to pursue civilian nuclear power using US technology, is expected to be submitted to Congress for review, and the impact of Trump's statement remains unclear.