US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States will not move forward with a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia unless the kingdom normalises relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords.
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Trump announces new condition
Speaking at the White House, Trump said Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords before the United States approves the nuclear agreement.
He added that US and Saudi officials had always understood this condition.
Energy agreement signed
Earlier this week, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed an agreement to develop Saudi Arabia’s first commercial nuclear reactors.
The proposal will now go to the US Congress for review.
Saudi Arabia maintains its position
However, Saudi Arabia has not joined the Abraham Accords. The kingdom says Israel must first commit to an irreversible path toward an independent Palestinian state.
So far, Riyadh has not commented on Trump’s latest demand.
Talks continue
Trump first pursued a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia during his first term.
Later, former President Joe Biden also backed a similar proposal and linked it to Saudi-Israeli normalisation.
Nevertheless, Trump said he remains confident that Saudi Arabia will eventually join the Abraham Accords. He added that both countries could then complete the civil nuclear agreement.
Analysts say a future deal could benefit Westinghouse, which Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management jointly own.
