US President Donald Trump said a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would only move forward if the kingdom establishes formal ties with Israel. The comment links a major strategic energy arrangement to one of the region’s most sensitive diplomatic issues.
The statement appeared to cool expectations around a significant agreement that had been presented as finalized by his administration just a day earlier. By attaching the nuclear deal to Saudi-Israeli normalization, Trump signaled that the broader political framework remains unresolved.
The issue is significant because a US-Saudi civil nuclear pact would carry implications beyond energy cooperation, affecting regional security and Washington’s role in the Middle East. Tying it to Israel relations shows how the administration views normalization as a central condition in wider negotiations with Riyadh.
Trump’s position introduces fresh uncertainty over the timing and scope of any final arrangement. It also underscores how closely US diplomacy, Gulf partnerships and Israel’s regional standing are being treated as part of the same policy track.
