Trump says nuclear deal depends on Saudis normalizing Israel relations

Administration Trump says nuclear deal depends on Saudis normalizing Israel relations Comments: by Mallory Wilson - 07/23/26 9:53 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Mallory Wilson - 07/23/26 9:53 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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President Trump on Thursday said the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia is contingent on the Saudis normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.

“The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities,” he added.

Energy Department Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the agreement Wednesday on civilian nuclear cooperation, along with a bilateral safeguards agreement. It would be a decades-long deal that would involve U.S. companies and billions of dollars.

Democratic lawmakers and nonproliferation experts have already expressed concern about the deal and what safeguards it contains, along with what this deal could mean for the region amid the Iran war.

The deal and its details have not been released. It will be sent to Congress for review.

Trump has long sought to add countries to his Abraham Accords, which were signed during his first term.

Saudi Arabia for its part has said that normalizing relations with Israel would first need clear progress towards a Palestinian state, something that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said Thursday, “The joint American and Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Teheran and Israel’s crushing of Iran’s terror axis have created the possibility to expand the circle of peace.”

“As President Trump has said, Saudi Arabia’s joining of the Abraham Accords would be an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East,” the statement said. “Peace through Strength.”

Several countries have already signed the Abraham Accords, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.