Trump Links US-Saudi Nuclear Deal to Abraham Accords After Signing
WASHINGTON, July 25: US President Donald Trump has introduced a new condition to a recently signed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, declaring that the deal will only proceed if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords, according to a CNN report.
The unexpected policy shift reportedly came less than 24 hours after the agreement was signed between the US Department of Energy and Saudi officials, catching both American energy officials and Saudi negotiators by surprise.
According to sources cited by CNN, Trump was displeased that Energy Secretary Chris Wright publicly announced the agreement without first briefing him. The president’s frustration reportedly grew after the deal faced criticism from conservative media outlets, including Fox News and editorial commentary in The Wall Street Journal.
The civilian nuclear cooperation agreement was formally signed on Wednesday during a ceremony at the US Department of Energy in Washington. Saudi Arabia’s energy minister participated virtually from Riyadh. At the time, the official announcement made no reference to the Abraham Accords or restrictions on Saudi uranium enrichment.
However, on Thursday, Trump announced via Truth Social that the agreement would now depend on Saudi Arabia normalising relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords. He also stated that the kingdom would not be permitted to enrich nuclear material under the arrangement.
The report further claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought to influence the agreement, citing two Israeli sources. The White House, however, denied that Trump and Netanyahu had discussed the issue.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump rejected suggestions that the Energy Secretary had acted prematurely, insisting that no one had moved ahead of his administration’s plans.
The president argued that changing regional dynamics had created an opportunity for broader diplomatic cooperation, saying previous concerns linked to Iran had diminished. He described the Abraham Accords as a major diplomatic success and emphasised that expanding the agreement remains a key objective for the future stability of the Middle East.
The latest development introduces a significant diplomatic condition to the US-Saudi nuclear partnership and underscores Washington’s continued effort to link regional security cooperation with broader normalisation initiatives.
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