US President Donald Trump has declared that the landmark civil nuclear deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia, aimed at helping the Gulf kingdom develop nuclear energy for non-military use, is contingent on Saudi Arabia recognizing the State of Israel and joining the Abraham Accords.

Speaking on Truth Social, Trump emphasized, "The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!)... 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."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that Trump had communicated this condition to Saudi leaders multiple times, stating, "He has said if they don't join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off."

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed awareness of plans for a bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia, including requests for verification measures.

During Trump's first term, the Abraham Accords led to historic normalization of relations between Israel and two Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. However, it remains unclear if the condition for Saudi Arabia to join the accords is formally included in the yet unreleased nuclear deal text or if Saudi Arabia has agreed to it.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, previously told CBS News in 2018 that while Saudi Arabia was not planning to acquire nuclear weapons, it would do so if Iran developed a nuclear bomb.

A statement from the US Department of Energy described the agreements as laying "the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation."

Sources indicate ongoing discussions between US and Saudi counterparts regarding the deal's conditions.

Sources