WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has announced that a proposed civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will only move forward if the Kingdom joins the Abraham Accords, the US-backed normalization framework between Israel and several Arab states.
In a statement posted on his social media platform, Trump said the agreement being negotiated between the US Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia would strictly prohibit uranium enrichment on Saudi soil.
He emphasized that the proposed deal would be exclusively for peaceful and civilian purposes, similar to civil nuclear programs operating in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and other nations under international safeguards.
“The agreement will be approved,” Trump said, “but one fundamental condition is that Saudi Arabia joins the respected and successful Abraham Accords.”
Trump further stressed that the United States has no objection to countries developing civilian nuclear energy programs, provided they are designed solely for peaceful purposes and do not include uranium enrichment, which could potentially be used in the development of nuclear weapons.
Civil Nuclear Cooperation
The proposed agreement aims to expand cooperation between Washington and Riyadh in the field of civilian nuclear energy, allowing Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear power generation for electricity production and other non-military applications.
Civil nuclear agreements typically involve the transfer of technology, expertise, and equipment under strict international regulations intended to prevent nuclear proliferation.
According to Trump, maintaining a ban on domestic uranium enrichment is a key safeguard to ensure that the Saudi program remains entirely peaceful.
Link to the Abraham Accords
Trump’s remarks revive a policy pursued during his previous administration, when normalization between Israel and Arab states was promoted through the Abraham Accords, launched in 2020.
The accords led to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Successive US administrations have viewed Saudi Arabia as the most significant potential addition to the framework.
By making Saudi participation a condition for the nuclear agreement, Trump has directly linked strategic nuclear cooperation with broader regional diplomatic goals.
Previous Reports
Trump’s statement follows a report by The Wall Street Journal, which claimed that the US president had formally approved a proposed civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, although the deal would still require approval from the US Congress before taking effect.
The newspaper reported that the agreement is expected to span 30 years and involve investments worth billions of dollars. It would provide Saudi Arabia with access to advanced nuclear technology for civilian energy production.
Earlier reports suggested that discussions over the agreement had been ongoing for several years. During previous negotiations, the Biden administration reportedly favored granting Saudi Arabia nuclear cooperation only if Riyadh agreed to normalize relations with Israel. However, Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that normalization is linked to broader regional and Palestinian issues.
Regional Significance
The proposed agreement carries major strategic implications for the Middle East. Supporters argue that civilian nuclear cooperation would help Saudi Arabia diversify its energy sector, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and support long-term economic development under Vision 2030.
However, critics have expressed concerns that any nuclear cooperation in the region could trigger wider security competition if adequate safeguards are not maintained.
Trump’s latest remarks indicate that the future of the US-Saudi civil nuclear partnership will depend not only on technical nuclear safeguards but also on Saudi Arabia’s willingness to participate in the Abraham Accords, making the proposed deal both an energy and diplomatic initiative with potentially far-reaching consequences.
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