No Israel Recognition, No Nuclear Deal: Trump Sets New Abraham Accords Condition for Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump has seemingly put Saudi Arabia's long-sought civilian nuclear deal on the line, saying the agreement will only move forward if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords and recognises Israel.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on Thursday, 23 July, just one day after US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement.

'The Civil Nuclear Deal' with Saudi Arabia 'will be approved,' Trump wrote, but added that it is 'totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining' the Abraham Accords.

The statement immediately raised questions about the future of the agreement. The deal had already drawn scrutiny because it could open the door for US companies to help build Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear energy programme, a project expected to last decades and be worth billions of dollars.

Trump also insisted there would be 'no enrichment of material,' stressing that Washington was not opposed to civilian nuclear facilities as long as they remained non-military.

Why the Saudi Nuclear Deal Is Controversial

The agreement is being described as a 123 agreement, the legal framework the US uses for civil nuclear cooperation with other countries. It gives American companies greater access to Saudi Arabia's planned nuclear energy sector and is expected to be reviewed by Congress. But the details have alarmed nonproliferation experts and Israeli officials.

Reports said the deal does not require Saudi Arabia to sign the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, a stricter inspection system used in other nuclear cooperation agreements. The United Arab Emirates accepted tougher limits in its 2009 nuclear deal with the US, including giving up domestic uranium enrichment.

Enrichment can be used for civilian reactor fuel, but it can also bring a country closer to weapons capability if pushed further. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said the kingdom does not want a nuclear weapon, but he has also warned that Riyadh would pursue one if Iran developed a bomb first.

Abraham Accords Return to the Centre

Trump's new condition revives one of the biggest diplomatic goals of his first term: expanding the Abraham Accords, the normalisation agreements that brought Israel into formal diplomatic relations with several Arab and Muslim-majority states.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain joined in 2020, followed by Morocco and Sudan. Saudi Arabia, however, has remained the prize Washington and Israel have long wanted. Riyadh has resisted joining without progress on Palestinian statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected that demand, making the path to normalisation politically difficult.

Trump's post now ties that unresolved diplomatic issue directly to Saudi Arabia's nuclear ambitions.

What Happens Next Post-Agreement

The agreement is not final simply because it was signed. Congress is expected to review it, and lawmakers are likely to examine both the enrichment question and the political condition Trump added after the fact.

The Saudis have not yet publicly accepted Trump's Abraham Accords demand. It is also unclear whether the condition will become a formal legal requirement or remain a presidential red line. For now, the message from Trump is blunt: Saudi Arabia can get a civilian nuclear programme backed by the US, but only if it moves towards recognising Israel.