WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will not proceed with a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia unless the Kingdom joins the Abraham Accords, reaffirming his administration’s position on linking the proposed deal to broader Middle East normalization efforts.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, President Trump said Saudi Arabia should become a member of the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalization framework between Israel and several Arab states.
“Saudi Arabia should be part of the Abraham Accords,” Trump said, adding that if the Kingdom does not join the agreement, the United States will not conclude a nuclear deal with Riyadh.
The President also addressed tensions involving Iran, saying he had not yet decided whether to launch large-scale military action against the country.
Trump said diplomatic contacts with Tehran were continuing and suggested that Iranian officials were showing greater seriousness in the ongoing negotiations.
“We are still talking with them. I think they are becoming more serious with each passing day, and perhaps everyone understands why,” he told reporters.
His remarks come days after he announced formal approval for pursuing a US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, although the proposal still requires approval by the US Congress before it can take effect.
In a statement posted on his social media platform earlier, Trump said the proposed agreement between the US Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia would not permit uranium enrichment within the Kingdom.
He stressed that the arrangement would be strictly for peaceful, civilian purposes and not for military use, comparing it to civilian nuclear programmes operating in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and others.
Trump also reiterated that a key condition for final approval of the agreement would be Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Abraham Accords, describing the framework as a “successful and highly respected” agreement.
The Abraham Accords, first signed in 2020, established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries under US mediation. Saudi Arabia has not formally joined the accords, although discussions on potential normalization have continued in recent years. The proposed civilian nuclear agreement remains subject to congressional review and any additional conditions set by the US administration.
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