Donald Trump has announced that the civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will not be implemented unless Riyadh officially recognizes Israel and joins the Abraham Accords.
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In a statement posted on the Truth Social platform, the US president clarified that the nuclear program would serve civilian purposes only, while uranium enrichment would not be permitted.
“The civil nuclear energy agreement will be approved, but it is entirely conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.
According to the White House, this requirement had already been clearly communicated to the Saudi leadership. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US president’s position leaves no room for ambiguity.
“He has said that if Saudi Arabia does not join the Abraham Accords, the agreement will not go through.”
Riyadh has yet to respond to Trump’s statements. Saudi Arabia has long insisted that recognition of Israel cannot take place before the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The White House leader’s statement was welcomed by Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Saudi Arabia’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords would represent “a historic step toward peace in the Middle East.”
Brokered by the Trump administration during his first term, the Abraham Accords enabled Israel to normalize relations with several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and Kazakhstan.
The new package between the United States and Saudi Arabia is aimed at jointly developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, while also creating significant opportunities for US companies to become involved in the Saudi program. However, concerns about the spread of nuclear technology in an already unstable region have prompted debate among experts and lawmakers in the United States.
The draft agreement is expected to be reviewed by the US Congress. Although opposition is anticipated from some lawmakers, Republicans have the majority needed to secure its approval.
