Recognise Israel: Trump sets big condition after US announces Saudi nuclear deal

A day after formally approving the deal, US President Donald Trump on Thursday laid down a new condition for the US-Saudi Arabia nuclear agreement — the Gulf kingdom's recognition of Israel.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the deal “will be approved, but is totally subject” to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords."The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords. The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”Saudi Arabia has made clear that normalising relations with Israel would first require the establishment of Palestinian statehood, a demand the Israeli Prime Minister has dismissed. US-Saudi nuclear dealTrump approved an agreement with Saudi Arabia which allows the kingdom to develop its own civilian nuclear programme. US energy secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart signed the agreement on Wednesday.The deal, known as a 123 agreement, is expected to last 30 years and is also expected to involve US firms in developing the program. According to a US official, the deal would involve American companies providing technology and expertise to develop the Saudi program, CNN reported.It would also allow the country to enrich its own fuel for civilian reactors. The agreement includes limits on what inspections might be carried out on the Saudi program, according to US officials and sources, according to CNN.The agreement is expected to be submitted to Congress for review.The Kingdom is not required to sign a standard agreement called the Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which would allow for more monitoring, inspections and verification, AP reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. What are Abraham AccordsThe Abraham Accords were first pushed by Trump in 2020 and are designed to normalise diplomatic, economic and security relations between Israel and several Arab nations.Trump in May 2026 had urged Pakistan and West Asian countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Jordan, to join the Abraham Accords and formally recognise Israel as part of a broader diplomatic effort to end the US-Iran conflict.The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were the first to sign, followed by Morocco and Sudan in 2020.