Saudis must join Abraham Accords to ensure nuclear deal, Trump says

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the just-signed agreement allowing American nuclear companies to export to Saudi Arabia is “totally subject” to the kingdom signing on to the Abraham Accords, the cornerstone agreements dating back to the first Trump administration that saw countries establish relations with Israel. The Biden and Trump administrations had previously contemplated using a civilian nuclear deal to encourage Saudi Arabia to normalize relationships with Israel, but the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel and the ensuing war complicated the issue. Saudi Arabia has previously refused to sign the accords unless there was a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the deal — of which details are still sparse — “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,” the president continued. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly backed the idea, writing in a statement from his office that Israeli and American attacks against Iran have “created the possibility to expand the circle of peace.” “As President Trump has said, Saudi Arabia’s joining of the Abraham Accords would be an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East,” the statement continued. A spokesperson for the Saudi embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The deal announced Wednesday creates a framework for American safeguards, but The Wall Street Journal previously reported that it lacks Saudi Arabia’s sign-on to the “gold standard” no-enrichment pledge, or an agreement to allow broad International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. That bypassing those safeguards, which were requirements for the 2009 nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates, made some staunch nuclear nonproliferation advocates on the Hill anxious Wednesday, saying the deal could open the door for Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically down the road. Others warned that the deal could push Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, however, said in the Wednesday announcement that “rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world’s best nuclear technology and scientists.” And Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters Wednesday, affirmed that the U.S. wouldn’t “reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation.” The deal, which followed a decade of back-and-forth negotiations between Washington and Riyadh, is expected to generate billions of dollars for American private companies. Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.