Responding to a question about why Saudi Arabia secured a civilian nuclear deal while Iran did not, the White House spokesperson said Thursday evening that the agreement with Riyadh puts US interests first, according to the spokesperson's remarks.
The White House spokesperson on Thursday evening addressed a question comparing the US-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement to the absence of a similar deal with Iran, stating that the accord with Riyadh is designed to serve American interests. The remarks cap a day of rapid developments in which both President Trump and the spokesperson confirmed the deal is conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and excludes uranium enrichment.
Earlier Thursday, at 14:55 Jerusalem, President Trump stated that the civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia is fully conditional on joining the Abraham Accords and does not include uranium enrichment, as reported by The Zioneer. Shortly after, the White House spokesperson officially confirmed the conditionality, according to N12 (Channel 12). The Zioneer then published an analysis assessing that the two conditions — no enrichment and normalization — effectively neutralize core Israeli security concerns.
The latest statement follows the US Energy Secretary's earlier briefing on the economic rationale behind the deal, reported at 08:56 Jerusalem. The Zioneer has previously reported on the broader context, including US Vice President Vance's statement that Washington prioritizes a nuclear deal with Iran over Israeli preferences, and commentary on the regional implications.
The full context of the question that prompted the spokesperson's response, and any follow-up, was not disclosed in the report.
6 developments
- ConfirmedUS VP Vance: Washington prioritizes nuclear deal with Iran over Israeli preferences
- ConfirmedUS Energy Secretary details economic rationale behind Saudi nuclear deal
- ConfirmedRubio: Saudi Arabia seeks 'peaceful, civil nuclear programme'
- DevelopingThe Zioneer: Saudi Arabia faces choice between pro-Palestinian stance and civilian nuclear deal
Source and signal
- Internal intake