Donald Trump has said a US-supported civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia would depend on the kingdom establishing formal ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords. His comments link two major regional issues and suggest that progress on nuclear cooperation is tied to a broader diplomatic breakthrough.
The statement has added fresh uncertainty around plans for a civilian nuclear programme in Saudi Arabia backed by the United States. It also clouds expectations over whether Washington and Riyadh can move forward on a standalone nuclear arrangement or whether normalization with Israel remains a central condition.
The Abraham Accords have been presented as a framework for expanding official relations between Israel and Arab states. By connecting Saudi participation in that process to a nuclear pact, Trump has raised the political stakes for any future agreement and underscored how closely US regional diplomacy could be tied to Saudi-Israeli relations.
The remarks are likely to intensify debate over the direction of US policy in the Middle East, especially as questions remain over how and when such a deal could take shape. For now, Trump’s position appears to make any Saudi nuclear cooperation contingent on a significant diplomatic step involving Israel.
