Reporting by AFP, AP and Reuters.

The Abraham Accords, brokered by the US in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations.

Published On 24 Jul 202624 Jul 2026

United States President Donald Trump has once again said that he will not go ahead with a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia unless Riyadh agrees to normalise ties with Israel, under the so-called Abraham Accords.

When asked on Friday if the Department of Energy had exceeded its authority by announcing the agreement without referencing the Israel condition earlier this week, Trump responded: “No, nobody got out ahead.”

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The US president added: “I just say that in order to do it, they have to be a member of the Abraham Accords, which have been very successful. But it’s time now that they do it.”

On Wednesday, Washington and Riyadh signed a nuclear cooperation deal aimed at establishing a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom.

But a day later, Trump announced a new condition on social media, saying that Saudi Arabia must first normalise relations with Israel.

He reiterated that position on Friday.

Trump said he did not talk about the accords with Energy Secretary Chris Wright ⁠before the deal was signed, “but it ⁠was always understood, and Chris knew, and Saudi Arabia knew”.

Saudi Arabia has yet to respond to Trump’s latest statement tying the nuclear deal to normalisation.

But Riyadh has long insisted it will not establish formal relations with Israel until there is a clear path for Palestinian statehood, which Israel’s current government staunchly opposes.

The Trump administration initially framed the nuclear cooperation deal as beneficial to the US and Saudi Arabia without mentioning Israel.

“These agreements reflect our two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening US-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad,” Wright said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Trump administration had called the agreement a “decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership” and said it will now be submitted to Congress for review.

While its full text has not been released, some US media reports have suggested that the deal will allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically rather than import nuclear fuel from the US. But Trump later said that there “will be no enrichment of material”.

The new nuclear deal is expected to last 30 years, transferring US technology and expertise to the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said the agreement bolsters “efforts to diversify energy sources, advance cutting-edge technologies, and expand opportunities for cooperation and investment in ways that serve the mutual interests of the two friendly countries”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted on Thursday that the deal would not lead to nuclear proliferation, as US contractors would handle the project, allowing Washington to monitor it. US nuclear reactor designer Westinghouse is believed to be a major contractor.

Saudi Arabia has not yet officially responded to Trump's latest remarks. The kingdom has long pursued a civilian nuclear program, but this condition has become a key hurdle. If Riyadh agrees, it would mark a significant shift in Middle East diplomacy. However, any decision is likely to be complex given regional politics and public opinion.