President Trump reversed course on a historic civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia hours after it was signed, announcing Thursday morning that the deal is now conditional on the kingdom's participation in the Abraham Accords and diplomatic normalization with Israel.
The U.S. Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia finalized the agreement Wednesday, granting Riyadh substantial concessions including limited uranium enrichment capabilities under specified conditions. But Trump, in a social media post Thursday, declared the entire arrangement dependent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords framework.
"The Civil Nuclear Agreement between the United States Department of Energy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be approved only if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joins the respected and successful Abraham Accords," Trump wrote. He added in parentheses: "There will be no enrichment of material."
The reversal exposed internal friction within the Trump administration. According to CNN, White House officials said the Energy Department proceeded without authorization and ignored explicit orders to delay the announcement pending formal congressional notification. The Energy Department rejected the criticism, with spokesman Ben Dittdreick calling the claims "fake news" and insisting all negotiations and announcements were coordinated with the White House and State Department.
Under the original agreement, American companies would assist in constructing Saudi nuclear power plants over thirty years. Unlike the Biden-era proposal, the Trump administration had not initially linked the arrangement to normalization with Israel or required international oversight standards known as the "gold standard."
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously stated he cannot accept diplomatic relations with Israel without a guaranteed pathway to Palestinian statehood. The Trump administration did not acknowledge whether Riyadh was consulted before the condition was imposed.
Nuclear nonproliferation experts warn the agreement, if ultimately approved, creates dangerous precedent. Analysts cite bin Salman's past statements that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia will pursue the same capability.
