President Trump stated that the US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal is conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, according to a Channel 14 report. Separate comments by journalist Tamir Morag, also cited by Channel 14, said that from Israel's perspective, a civilian power plant without uranium enrichment does not pose a problem.
Channel 14 reported on Thursday afternoon that President Trump has reiterated his condition that the US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal is contingent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. The same report quoted journalist Tamir Morag saying that from Israel's perspective, a civilian power plant without uranium enrichment does not pose a security problem. The reporting follows The Zioneer's earlier coverage of Trump's statements and an analysis of their implications.
The Zioneer first reported at 14:55 Jerusalem, citing N12, that Trump had stated the deal is conditional on the Abraham Accords and that it would not include uranium enrichment. At 15:33 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published an analysis assessing that these two conditions effectively neutralize the core Israeli concerns about the deal — the risk of a Saudi enrichment capability and the lack of normalization. The analysis noted that a civilian reactor without enrichment does not change the regional nuclear balance, and that the normalization condition is a positive outcome for Israel.
The new development comes amid a broader narrative that The Zioneer has been tracking: earlier reports suggested the deal might allow enrichment on Saudi soil, drawing sharp criticism from Israeli analysts. In late July, the WSJ reported that Trump had approved a deal with potential for enrichment, and Israel Hayom confirmed that detail. Analysts like Ynir Kozin described such a scenario as a 'severe blow' to Israel without full normalization. Trump's subsequent statements appear to have reversed that trajectory.
The Channel 14 report does not specify whether the final agreement includes an enrichment component, but Trump's own statements have explicitly ruled it out. The clarity of the final terms and the timeline for Saudi accession to the Abraham Accords remain open questions.
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