President Donald Trump on Thursday said a civilian nuclear power agreement with Saudi Arabia hinges on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered normalization treaties signed or joined by Israel and six Muslim countries since 2020.
"The agreement pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and the UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords. The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The statement came after the Trump administration announced the previous day that it had signed a "peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement" With Saudi Arabia without mentioning any requirement for normalization with Israel.
The Department of Energy said the agreement provides a "legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives" And grants "great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy program, benefiting American industry, workers and supply chains while helping to meet Saudi energy needs." The agreement will be reviewed by Congress.
Brian Romick, CEO and president of Democratic Majority for Israel, characterized the decision to provide Saudi Arabia access to American civil nuclear technology absent meaningful progress toward normalization with Israel as "a major strategic mistake."
Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, called the agreement "a serious, dangerous mistake," Stating: "It is deeply dismaying that the administration is giving away the leverage of Saudi-Israel normalization while a nuclear Saudi Arabia would render America's obligation to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge close to useless."
Trump has previously urged additional Arab and Muslim countries to join the Abraham Accords. In May, he called on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan to normalize ties with Israel under the framework.