US President Donald Trump said the US will approve a civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia only if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords, and that the deal would allow only non-military nuclear energy without uranium enrichment.
US President Donald Trump stated Thursday at 14:55 Jerusalem that the civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia is conditional on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords and will prohibit uranium enrichment, restricting to non-military nuclear energy. This marks a significant clarification from earlier reports that suggested the deal might allow enrichment on Saudi soil.
The statement follows a series of reports on the US-Saudi nuclear pact. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration had approved a deal that could allow Saudi enrichment. Israel Hayom later confirmed that the deal permitted enrichment on Saudi soil. Reuters reported that the deal made no mention of normalization with Israel. On Thursday at 12:36 Jerusalem, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saudi Arabia is seeking a "peaceful, civil nuclear programme." The Zioneer reported Thursday at 14:55 Jerusalem that N12's Tomer Almogor first detailed Trump's conditions. Trump's own statement, posted shortly after, confirmed the enrichment prohibition, corroborating the initial report.
The Zioneer had previously reported that earlier versions of the deal made no mention of normalization with Israel, and that analysts warned the deal could be a "severe blow" to Israel without full normalization. The new condition linking the deal to the Abraham Accords represents a shift in the administration's stance.
Trump's statement is the clearest indication yet of the U.S. position, but it remains to be seen whether Saudi Arabia will accept the conditions, including the prohibition on enrichment and the requirement to normalize relations with Israel.
4 developments
- DevelopingAnalyst: Trump-Saudi nuclear deal, if confirmed, is a 'severe blow' to Israel without full normalization
- DevelopingCommentary: US-Saudi nuclear deal a 'gift' that risks 'oil economy confrontation'
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom reports new details of Trump-Saudi nuclear deal, confirms uranium enrichment on Saudi soil
- DevelopingSaudi Arabia cooled on Abraham Accords due to nuclear project, channel claims
Source and signal
- Internal intake