President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that a nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia is conditional on the Gulf nation joining the Abraham Accords, thereby recognizing Israel. “The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!)… which pertains only to non-military use… will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” he wrote.

Abraham Accords and Regional Diplomacy

The Abraham Accords, brokered by Trump, have led to five countries—four Arab nations—recognizing Israel. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were the first to sign in 2020, followed by Sudan, Morocco, and Kazakhstan. Saudi Arabia has not yet joined the agreement and has previously stated it would not recognize Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The White House has reiterated that the nuclear deal will not proceed unless Saudi Arabia joins the accords. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said Trump had previously discussed this condition with Saudi leaders. “He has said if they don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off,” she said. “So we’ll continue to have those conversations with our Saudi counterparts moving forward.”

Concerns Over Nuclear Proliferation

Experts have raised concerns that the nuclear agreement could contribute to nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, an already volatile region. Trump’s remarks appear to refute earlier reports that Saudi Arabia could enrich uranium under the deal, a process that can be used for peaceful power generation but also has military implications.

Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East program at the U.S.-based Defense Priorities think tank, said it would be “quite shocking” if the U.S. allowed Saudi Arabia to establish uranium enrichment facilities. “The U.S. has never done that before. We have never helped another country enrich on their own soil,” she said, adding that doing so would make Saudi Arabia a “much bigger risk” for building nuclear weapons.

The agreement is described as a “peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement” by the U.S. energy department, which will give American companies “great access” to Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program. However, the text of the deal has not been released, and it is unclear if the condition of joining the Abraham Accords was stipulated in the original document or added later.

Regional Reactions and Future Outlook

Israel welcomed Trump’s statement, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office calling Saudi recognition of Israel an “historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East.” The statement did not mention the nuclear deal, but Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat said his country “can manage it” if Saudi Arabia had nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

Israel’s own nuclear status remains unconfirmed, as the country neither confirms nor denies possessing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stated in 2018 that his nation was not planning to acquire nuclear weapons, but that “without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.”

The agreement will now be sent to the U.S. Congress for review. Some lawmakers from both parties are expected to oppose the deal, though Trump’s Republican Party holds the majority in both chambers. Opponents of the deal do not appear to have the votes needed to block it at this time.