Trump says Saudi nuclear deal 'totally subject' to Israel normalization

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday the newly reached US-Saudi nuclear agreement would require that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords with Israel. In a Truth Social post a day after the 30-year, multibillion-dollar deal between Riyadh and Washington was announced, Trump said the agreement “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.” The Abraham Accords were signed in 2020 and normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. There is no indication, however, that the kingdom is close to formally recognizing the existence of Israel — a decision that would likely encourage other Arab and Muslim-majority countries to strike their own normalization deals with the Jewish state. A spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not return an Al-Monitor request for comment. Saudi public opinion of Israel sharply deteriorated amid the war in the Gaza Strip, where near-daily Israeli strikes continue despite an October 2025 ceasefire. Speaking in Riyadh in May 2025, Trump said it was his “dream” for Saudi Arabia to join the normalization pact that he brokered in his first term, before acknowledging the Gulf powerhouse would do so in its “own time.” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials have said normalized relations with Israel would require a credible, irreversible path to Palestinian statehood. Facing election-year pressures, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the creation of a Palestinian state. AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.