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Trump said the proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal will move ahead only if Riyadh normalises ties with Israel. The condition sharpens regional pressure while raising fresh concerns over enrichment and oversight.
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Washington,UPDATED: Jul 23, 2026 18:30 IST
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a civilian nuclear agreement being worked out with Saudi Arabia will go ahead only if the kingdom normalises ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords. In a social media post, Trump said the agreement would not allow uranium enrichment and added that the United States was not opposed to "Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities".
Trump said the agreement "will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords". The proposed deal is expected to run for 30 years, involve US firms in developing the programme, and be sent to Congress for review.
The Saudi position on ties with Israel remains unchanged. The kingdom has said normalisation would first require a clear path to Palestinian statehood, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of a Palestinian state.
Trump has sought to build on the 2020 Abraham Accords, which increased the number of Arab states with diplomatic ties with Israel.
Even as Trump said the deal would not permit enrichment, a person familiar with the matter, who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it could allow the construction of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia after a joint US-Saudi study.
Non-proliferation experts have raised concerns that the agreement does not contain safeguards to prevent uranium from being enriched to weapons-grade levels. A second person familiar with the decision said the agreement also does not include the Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, which would allow greater monitoring, inspections and verification.
Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said on Wednesday that the agreement strengthens "efforts to diversify energy sources, advance cutting-edge technologies, and expand opportunities for cooperation and investment in ways that serve the mutual interests of the two friendly countries".
While enrichment does not automatically lead to a nuclear weapon, as a country must also master other steps including the use of synchronised high explosives, it does open the door to weaponisation. The proposed US-Saudi nuclear agreement is therefore tied to Saudi-Israel normalisation, while also drawing attention over enrichment, oversight and the wider regional implications.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 23, 2026 18:30 IST
