U.S. President Donald Trump has said that any nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will depend on Riyadh’s willingness to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel, linking the proposed deal to broader efforts to reshape the Middle East.
Trump said the proposed agreement would move forward only if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered framework that established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab states during his first term in office.
Trump said normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Israel would represent a major step toward regional stability while strengthening security cooperation between Washington and its Middle Eastern allies. He argued that closer ties among the three countries would help counter shared security threats and expand economic cooperation.
The proposed agreement would allow the United States to support Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy programme under strict conditions. U.S. officials have said any arrangement would include safeguards designed to prevent the development of nuclear weapons, although details of the negotiations have not been finalised.
Saudi Arabia has long maintained that formal diplomatic relations with Israel are contingent on progress toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. However, U.S. officials have continued efforts to persuade Riyadh that a broader regional agreement could advance both security and economic interests.
The issue has taken on added significance following months of conflict in the Middle East, with regional tensions complicating diplomatic efforts to expand the Abraham Accords and deepen cooperation between Israel and Arab nations.
The proposal is expected to face close scrutiny in the U.S. Congress, where lawmakers from both parties have raised questions about nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia, regional security and non-proliferation safeguards.
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