US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the proposed US-Saudi civil nuclear agreement would only be approved if Saudi Arabia normalises diplomatic relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords, adding that the deal would not permit uranium enrichment or any military nuclear programme.Trump’s remarks come a day after the United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civil nuclear cooperation framework, known as a 123 Agreement, that will now require approval from the US Congress.In a post on social media, Trump said, “The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords. The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities.”
Trump’s statement marks a shift from the framework announced on Wednesday, under which the two countries agreed to cooperate on Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear programme. The agreement, signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, lays the groundwork for nuclear cooperation while requiring congressional review before it can take effect. The Trump administration has said the agreement adheres to the highest standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended the deal, saying the United States would not enter into any arrangement that increased the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation.The agreement has nevertheless drawn scrutiny from some US lawmakers, who have raised concerns that allowing Saudi Arabia to pursue uranium enrichment for civilian purposes could eventually create pathways for nuclear weapons development.Trump’s latest remarks also appear to narrow the scope of the proposed agreement by insisting there would be “no enrichment of material” and linking final approval to Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel through the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered normalisation agreements signed by Israel with several Arab states during Trump’s first term.The announcement comes as the United States and Israel continue military operations against Iran, with Washington maintaining that Tehran’s uranium enrichment programme could enable it to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies, insisting its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes.
