Flags of the United States and Saudi Arabia fly on a street in Riyadh ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit. File photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump has stated that a civil nuclear cooperation agreement between Washington and Riyadh will only take effect if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords. He noted that the program would not include provisions for uranium enrichment.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday (local time), Trump wrote that the agreement is strictly for the use of nuclear energy for civilian purposes. Currently, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and several other nations possess such capabilities. However, this deal hinges entirely on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords—an initiative aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations.
Trump added that the United States is not opposed to civil nuclear facilities and programs.
Previously, the US and Saudi Arabia reached an understanding regarding civil nuclear energy cooperation. Under this arrangement, Saudi Arabia would be able to enrich uranium and construct nuclear reactors using US technology. Notably, the requirement for immediate UN inspections—which Washington had previously imposed on Iran—would not apply to Saudi Arabia.
However, Saudi Arabia has long maintained the position that it will not join the Abraham Accords unless an agreement is reached on a framework for establishing a Palestinian state.
The Abraham Accords are a series of US-brokered agreements initiated in 2020 to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab nations. These agreements were formally signed at the White House on September 15, 2020, during Trump’s first term. Under the accords, the participating countries agreed to enhance diplomatic relations, trade, investment, and security cooperation.
To date, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan have joined the Abraham Accords. However, Saudi Arabia’s long-standing position is that it will not join this agreement unless an understanding is reached on an acceptable framework for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
