Trump stuns Saudis by pinning nuclear deal to Israel ties
President Donald Trump has stated that a civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia is contingent upon the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. This condition has created uncertainty for the recently announced agreement.
Why it matters
The linkage of nuclear cooperation to Middle Eastern diplomatic normalization represents a significant shift in US foreign policy strategy.
US President Donald Trump says a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia depends on the kingdom recognising Israel - throwing the agreement into turmoil just the day after it was signed.
Riyadh has long resisted joining the so-called Abraham Accords with Israel, insisting especially after the Gaza conflict on a pathway to a Palestinian state.
The civilian nuclear deal announced on Wednesday had appeared to be a major win for the Saudis, especially coming as Trump wages war on Iran in large part over concerns about Tehran's own atomic programme.
But Trump threw a gigantic spanner into the works with his post on his Truth Social network saying the Saudi deal "will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords".
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