US President Donald Trump stated that he will only approve a civil nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia if Riyadh agrees to join the Abraham Accords and normalizes relations with Israel. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned that the proposed deal would prevent Saudi Arabia from enriching nuclear material and would focus solely on non-military applications. Negotiations regarding the agreement are still ongoing.
Trump emphasized that the civil nuclear deal would not involve material enrichment and would be limited to non-military purposes. The announcement introduced a significant political condition to the energy agreement, which had been announced a day earlier by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Leavitt clarified that Trump had previously raised this condition on multiple occasions.
The President’s insistence on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords as a prerequisite for the nuclear deal reflects his broader goal of expanding diplomatic relations between Gulf and Arab countries and Israel. Leavitt highlighted that Trump has consistently emphasized the importance of these countries signing the Abraham Accords. The White House made it clear that the agreement with Saudi Arabia is contingent on this condition, according to Leavitt.
Leavitt mentioned that Trump had discussed this issue with Saudi leaders in previous conversations, but there was no confirmation that Saudi Arabia had agreed to the condition. The administration intends to continue engaging in discussions with Saudi Arabia on this matter. The proposed deal is expected to provide US companies with priority access to Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program, benefiting American industry workers and the supply chain.
