Trump ties Saudi nuclear deal to Israel normalisation
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President Donald Trump said a proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement would depend on Saudi Arabia normalising relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords. The condition could complicate or delay the deal, while making nuclear co-operation a lever in Washington’s wider effort to expand Arab-Israeli diplomatic ties.
Trump said the arrangement would cover non-military nuclear facilities and exclude uranium enrichment. The Abraham Accords, launched during his first term, led the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and other states to establish ties with Israel; Saudi Arabia has not joined, and the agreement has prompted concerns among lawmakers and others about nuclear proliferation.
- Trump links Saudi nuclear co-operation to recognising Israel.
- The proposal excludes uranium enrichment, Trump says.
- Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords remains uncertain.
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Saudi Arabia has long been a close security partner of the United States, while Israel is one of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East. Saudi leaders have not formally recognised Israel, unlike several Arab states that established ties with it under the Abraham Accords in 2020.
A civilian nuclear agreement could allow Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear energy with US support, subject to safeguards intended to prevent nuclear weapons work. Such talks also involve questions about technology, inspections and the kingdom’s broader security relationship with Washington.
Normalisation would mean formal diplomatic relations, potentially including embassies, trade and direct travel. It is politically sensitive because Saudi Arabia has said progress towards a Palestinian state is central to any agreement with Israel.
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The case for
Supporters argue that linking a civilian nuclear agreement to normalisation could create a rare diplomatic incentive for Saudi Arabia and Israel to build formal ties, improving regional communication, trade and security co-operation. They contend that US nuclear assistance carries substantial strategic value and should advance wider non-proliferation and peace objectives, while giving Washington leverage to seek robust safeguards. The approach reflects the view that durable regional stability is better served by integrating major states into formal arrangements than by treating energy, security and diplomacy as separate issues.
The case against
Critics argue that making Saudi civilian nuclear co-operation conditional on normalisation risks turning a technically sensitive energy and non-proliferation matter into bargaining pressure over an unresolved political conflict. They may say Saudi Arabia has legitimate reasons to insist that any recognition of Israel be connected to credible progress for Palestinians, rather than accepting a transaction centred on US strategic priorities. They also warn that publicly imposed conditions could harden positions, complicate negotiations and leave the region with neither a carefully safeguarded nuclear framework nor meaningful diplomatic progress.
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Originally published by The Hill as “Trump slams brakes on Saudi nuclear deal with Abraham Accords demand ”.