President Donald Trump announced Thursday that a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia is contingent on the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel. In a social media post, Trump stated the deal is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, a condition that was not previously mentioned when the landmark agreement was finalized just a day earlier.
This unexpected demand throws the implementation of the deal into turmoil. Saudi Arabia has long resisted joining the Abraham Accords, maintaining that normalizing relations with Israel requires a clear roadmap toward Palestinian statehood. This position has been reinforced especially after the Gaza conflict, while the current Israeli government has rejected such a prospect.
The 30-year accord, which aims to provide the kingdom with a civilian nuclear program, was signed on Wednesday and will be sent to Congress for review, according to the Department of Energy. Despite this progress, the new condition complicates the agreement, as some Israeli politicians have warned that the nuclear deal could spark a crazy arms race in the Middle East.