U.S. President Donald Trump has tied a newly signed US-Saudi Arabia civilian nuclear cooperation agreement to a separate diplomatic objective, saying the deal will only move forward if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords and establishes relations with Israel.
Trump wrote in a social media post on July 23, 2026, that the nuclear agreement “will be approved,” but added that it “is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”
He also stated there would be “no enrichment,” addressing one of the most sensitive issues surrounding Saudi Arabia’s future nuclear ambitions.
The announcement came one day after US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman formally signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, commonly known as a “123 agreement,” alongside a bilateral safeguards agreement. The initial announcement did not publicly include normalization with Israel as a condition.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced Trump’s position, saying the nuclear agreement depended on Saudi Arabia joining the US-backed Abraham Accords.
“This deal with Saudi Arabia, the energy deal, is contingent on this condition, as far as the president is concerned, so, we’ll continue to talk with our Saudi counterparts to get the deal finalized and hopefully see them join the Abraham Accords very soon,” Leavitt said.
The new condition has introduced uncertainty over the future of the agreement, which had already been expected to receive scrutiny in Washington and across the Middle East because of concerns surrounding nuclear technology transfer, uranium enrichment, and regional security dynamics.
US and Saudi Arabia sign long-term nuclear cooperation framework
The United States and Saudi Arabia announced the nuclear cooperation agreement on Wednesday, describing it as a foundation for a decades-long partnership focused on civilian nuclear energy, economic cooperation, and nonproliferation.
The agreement was signed by Wright and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and includes a separate bilateral safeguards agreement designed to provide oversight of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear activities.
The US Department of Energy said the agreements establish the legal framework for a “decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership” aimed at expanding US nuclear technology exports, supporting American industry, and helping Saudi Arabia meet its energy requirements.
“These agreements reflect our two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad,” Wright said in a statement.
The U.S. Energy Department said the agreement would allow greater participation by American companies in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program while maintaining standards for nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation.
The Saudi Energy Ministry said the agreement builds on the strategic partnership between the two countries and would strengthen cooperation in energy and advanced technologies.
“Saudi Arabia seeks to have a peaceful, civil nuclear program,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Manila.
Rubio said the agreement would include safeguards to prevent civilian nuclear cooperation from being redirected toward military purposes.
“Suffice it to say that any agreement that we’re going to make with any country in the world on civil nuclear energy is going to be one that will have safeguards in place to ensure that it can’t be turned into a weapons program,” Rubio said.
What the nuclear agreement means for Saudi Arabia’s energy ambitions
Saudi Arabia has long sought to expand its energy sector beyond oil production as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic transformation plans.
A civilian nuclear program would allow the kingdom to generate electricity from nuclear power, potentially reducing domestic oil consumption and freeing additional crude supplies for export.
Daniel Benaim, a former State Department official who worked on Gulf issues, said Saudi Arabia’s economic plans require new sources of energy.
“They want to build huge energy-intensive industries, data centers, desalination. And they’re actually burning their own crude oil up to 1.4 million barrels a day at the height of the summer to do that,” Benaim told NPR’s Morning Edition.
“They want to use their crude oil for exports to make revenue and then find other energy sources to fuel their own economic transformation domestically.”
The agreement is expected to create opportunities for US nuclear companies while limiting the influence of competitors such as China and Russia in Saudi Arabia’s emerging nuclear sector.
The US Energy Department said the partnership would “expand American nuclear technology exports,” create jobs, strengthen energy security, and reinforce international nonproliferation standards.
Uranium enrichment remains the central security concern
The most controversial aspect of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear ambitions is whether the kingdom will eventually be permitted to enrich uranium domestically.
Uranium enrichment is a standard part of some civilian nuclear programs, but the same technology can also produce material suitable for nuclear weapons if developed to higher levels.
The US-Saudi agreement reportedly allows for further study of whether domestic enrichment would be necessary and commercially viable. Any future enrichment facility would require additional decisions and oversight.
The Trump administration has emphasized that the agreement includes safeguards designed to prevent nuclear proliferation. However, critics have questioned whether the protections match those included in previous US nuclear cooperation agreements.
A key comparison is the 2009 US agreement with the United Arab Emirates, under which Abu Dhabi agreed not to enrich uranium or reprocess spent nuclear fuel. The arrangement became known by supporters as the “gold standard” for civilian nuclear cooperation.
Saudi Arabia has not made the same public commitment.
The kingdom has previously stated that it would consider developing nuclear weapons if Iran acquired them, raising concerns among nonproliferation advocates that a Saudi nuclear program could contribute to a wider regional competition.
Congress review and diplomatic uncertainty
Under US law, the agreement will be submitted to Congress for review. Lawmakers have the ability to object, although blocking the agreement would require a joint resolution with enough support to overcome a presidential veto.
Trump’s new condition introduces a separate diplomatic challenge involving Saudi-Israeli relations.
Saudi Arabia has resisted joining the Abraham Accords without progress toward Palestinian statehood, while Israel has opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump’s demand. “Saudi Arabia’s joining of the Abraham Accords would be an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East. Peace through Strength,” Netanyahu’s office said in an online statement.
The statement did not directly address the nuclear agreement.
The impact of Trump’s announcement on the signed nuclear pact remains unclear. The agreement’s supporters argue it strengthens US influence over Saudi Arabia’s nuclear development, while critics warn that linking nuclear cooperation to broader diplomatic goals could complicate already sensitive negotiations.
Explainer: Why the US-Saudi nuclear deal matters
The US-Saudi agreement represents more than an energy partnership. It sits at the intersection of nuclear nonproliferation, Gulf security, US competition with China and Russia, and efforts to reshape Middle Eastern diplomacy.
For Saudi Arabia, nuclear power offers a way to diversify its energy system and support industrial growth. For Washington, the agreement provides a pathway to keep American companies involved in one of the world’s largest emerging nuclear markets while maintaining oversight of sensitive technology.
The main security debate centers on whether civilian nuclear infrastructure could eventually provide Saudi Arabia with capabilities that shorten the path toward a weapons program.
Supporters argue that a US-backed agreement provides greater transparency and control than allowing Saudi Arabia to pursue nuclear cooperation elsewhere. Critics argue that allowing domestic enrichment capabilities could encourage other countries in the region to seek similar options.
The agreement’s final impact will depend on how safeguards are implemented, whether Congress approves the arrangement, and whether Saudi Arabia and Israel can resolve their longstanding diplomatic differences.