How Trump Upended Saudi Nuclear Deal Less Than 24 Hours After Signing

How Trump Upended Saudi Nuclear Deal Less Than 24 Hours After Signing A long-awaited U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement was thrown into uncertainty less than a day after its signing when President Donald Trump introduced a new condition requiring Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords before the deal could move forward. The agreement had been formally signed at the U.S. Department of Energy after months of negotiations, with officials presenting it as a major milestone in Washington’s strategic partnership with Riyadh. Saudi Arabia had secured many of its key demands, including greater cooperation on developing a civilian nuclear programme. However, the deal quickly became engulfed in controversy after Trump publicly stated that its approval was conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, a framework created during his first administration that led several Arab countries to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. He also rejected claims that the agreement would permit Saudi Arabia to pursue uranium enrichment. Sources familiar with the matter told that Trump was already frustrated by the way the agreement was rolled out, saying he had not been fully informed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright that the deal was about to be announced. His concerns reportedly intensified after criticism from conservative commentators and experts who questioned why the agreement did not include Saudi-Israeli normalisation. The sudden change reportedly surprised some U.S. officials involved in the nuclear negotiations, who did not expect the Abraham Accords requirement to become a public condition after the signing. White House officials insisted, however, that linking the nuclear agreement to normalisation with Israel had always been part of Trump’s broader objective for Middle East diplomacy. The development also caught Saudi officials off guard, as Riyadh had viewed the nuclear agreement as a significant diplomatic and economic achievement. The kingdom has previously tied possible normalisation with Israel to progress on Palestinian statehood, making the new condition a potential obstacle to the agreement’s implementation. The dispute highlights wider tensions surrounding the nuclear deal, including concerns from non-proliferation experts over uranium enrichment provisions and the strength of international safeguards. Supporters argue the agreement would deepen U.S. influence over Saudi Arabia’s nuclear development, while critics warn that weaker restrictions could create future security risks. The future of the agreement now depends on whether Washington and Riyadh can resolve the diplomatic dispute and reach a framework acceptable to both sides.