Saudi Arabia has given no sign that it will accept President Trump’s subsequent demand to establish diplomatic relations with Israel as a condition for a US nuclear-energy agreement. The dispute matters because it casts doubt over an agreement announced only last week and highlights the difficulty of linking Saudi civil nuclear co-operation to the wider Abraham Accords.

Saudi leaders have not publicly conceded that the nuclear deal has collapsed, despite Trump’s apparent change in conditions after its signing. US officials have also sought to clarify that the arrangement would not transfer uranium-enrichment capability to Saudi Arabia, a sensitive issue because of concerns over nuclear proliferation. Riyadh’s position on normalisation with Israel remains closely tied to progress towards Palestinian statehood.