President Trump announced that a proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal will not allow uranium enrichment and is conditional on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. The announcement comes amid widening US strikes on Iran and rising tensions in the region.
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Key facts
- Trump said the US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords.
- Trump said the deal will not allow uranium enrichment.
- The proposed nuclear deal had raised alarm in Israel, according to NPR.
- Houthis claimed strikes on two Saudi tankers as US attacks on Iran widened.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump has said that a proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal will not permit uranium enrichment and is conditional on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, according to reporting from the Guardian, Al Jazeera and NPR.
Trump said the arrangement is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, the framework under which several Arab states have established formal ties with Israel. Al Jazeera reported that the proposed civilian nuclear deal “hinges on normalisation with Israel.”
According to NPR, the Saudi nuclear power deal had raised alarm in Israel before Trump announced online that the arrangement is subject to the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.
The announcement came amid rising tensions in the region. The Guardian reported that Houthis claimed strikes on two Saudi tankers as US attacks on Iran widened.
Also on the same day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Guardian.
Earlier, before that report, Trump issued a threat on Truth Social stating that any time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz “whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,” including those located next to or in Tehran, the Guardian reported.
Why it matters
Linking a Saudi nuclear deal to recognition of Israel ties one of the region's most sensitive diplomatic questions to nuclear cooperation, with implications for Middle East security. The move unfolds against a backdrop of widening US strikes on Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.
Frequently asked questions
What condition did Trump place on the US-Saudi nuclear deal?
Trump said the deal is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with Israel, and that it will not allow uranium enrichment, according to the Guardian, Al Jazeera and NPR.
Will the proposed deal allow uranium enrichment?
No. Trump said the Saudi nuclear deal will not allow enrichment, according to the Guardian.
What is happening in the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had stopped three oil tankers from passing through the strait, and Trump threatened to bomb a bridge or power plant in Iran, including near Tehran, if Iran fires on any ship there, the Guardian reported.
Timeline
- Trump’s Israel condition on Saudi nuclear deal
Al Jazeera: Trump’s Israel condition on Saudi nuclear deal
- US-Saudi nuclear deal hinges on normalisation with Israel
Al Jazeera: President Trump said a proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords
- US-Saudi nuclear deal relies on it recognising Israel, says Trump – Middle East crisis live
The Guardian World: US president posts about deal on Truth Social, saying it is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords Houthis claim strikes on two Saudi tankers as US attacks on Iran widen Earlier in the US day, before Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had stopped three oil tankers fr
- Saudi nuclear deal will not allow enrichment and relies on it recognising Israel, says Trump – Middle East crisis live
The Guardian World: US president posts about deal on Truth Social, saying it is subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords Houthis claim strikes on two Saudi tankers as US attacks on Iran widen Earlier in the US day, before Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had stopped three oil tankers fr
- Trump says the Saudi nuclear deal hinges on the kingdom normalizing ties with Israel
NPR News: After a Saudi nuclear power deal raised alarm in Israel, President Trump announced online that the arrangement is subject to the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords,
- Trump says Saudi Arabia's nuclear deal hinges on the kingdom normalizing Israel ties
NPR News: After a Saudi nuclear power deal raised alarm in Israel, President Trump announced online that the arrangement is subject to the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.