Trump Drops Surprise Twist in Saudi Nuclear Deal, Puts Israel at the Center

US President Donald Trump has declared that Saudi Arabia will have to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords before a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement between Washington and Riyadh can move forward.

In a social media post on Thursday, Trump said the proposed agreement would be approved only if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, the US-backed initiative launched in 2020 that established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab nations. He also stressed that the deal would permit only civilian nuclear facilities and would not allow uranium enrichment.

The announcement comes a day after the United States and Saudi Arabia unveiled a 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, aimed at expanding the kingdom's energy sector while creating major opportunities for American companies. The agreement will now be sent to the US Congress for review.

However, Trump's latest condition has complicated an already sensitive diplomatic equation. Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that it cannot establish formal ties with Israel unless there is a credible pathway toward an independent Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has repeatedly rejected the idea, citing national security concerns.

While Netanyahu's office welcomed the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and described it as a historic step toward regional peace, it did not comment on the nuclear agreement itself. The Saudi Embassy in Washington also declined to respond to Trump's remarks.

The proposed deal has triggered immediate debate in Washington. Lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties, along with nuclear non-proliferation experts, have questioned whether the agreement provides sufficient safeguards. Critics have expressed concern that it does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, which allows for enhanced inspections and monitoring of nuclear activities.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the agreement, saying it would ensure Saudi Arabia partners with American companies instead of turning to competitors such as China, Russia, France or South Korea for its civilian nuclear programme.

The Trump administration continues to view Saudi Arabia's entry into the Abraham Accords as a crucial step toward reshaping the Middle East's diplomatic landscape, although ongoing regional conflicts and political divisions make that objective increasingly challenging.