Saudis must recognise Israel for nuclear deal, says Trump. The landmark nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia is dependent on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords recognising the State of Israel, President Donald Trump has said.
According to reports of the deal's contents, President Donald Trump gave Saudi Arabia what it wanted without extracting concessions for Israel in return - and over objections from critics who argued that it could spark a nuclear arms race in the region.
Details
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Under the deal, US President Donald Trump has reportedly not required his Saudi counterpart Mohammed bin Salman to give diplomatic recognition to Israel.
Trump's remarks come after criticism from experts that the deal could run the risk of future nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region, in a development tied to the same story.
In 2020, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, which secured the historic normalisation of relations between Israel and two Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.
The deal, whose signing was announced on Wednesday, is described as a "peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement" that will provide "great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy programme" by the US energy department.
Earlier US media reports suggested the deal could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium in the future - which can be used as fuel for power plants, but also potentially to make nuclear bombs.
Some lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are expected to oppose the deal, though Trump's Republican Party controls both the upper and lower chambers and opponents of the deal do not appear to have the votes needed to block it.
Saudi Arabia has previously said it would not recognise Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state, in a development tied to the same story.
Separately, Watch: What we know about the US-Saudi nuclear deal.
Statements
«peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement»
«great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy programme»
Context
"The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!).
The nuclear issue has been at the centre of the months-long US-Israeli conflict with Iran, according to the latest reporting on the story.
The deal appears to be the latest example of Trump jettisoning the traditional American approach to the Middle East, which centred on Israel and finding a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On Thursday he said in a social media post that the nuclear pact was conditioned on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, a series of deals reached in his first term that normalised relations between Israel and several other Gulf states.
Image source, EPAByDaniel BushWashingtonPublished23 July 2026, 12:13 BSTUpdated 36 minutes agoThe Trump administration's nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia reversed a years-long stance toward a key Middle East ally.
Past US presidents insisted that Saudi Arabia normalise relations with Israel in exchange for receiving American nuclear technology for civilian energy programmes.
Analysts said the nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia sent a signal that the US wants to keep regional allies in the fold even if it means angering Israel in the process.
Details of the deal were not immediately released by the administration, but the pact reportedly does not include strict enforcement measures to block Saudi Arabia from developing a military nuclear programme in the future.
What to watch next
With this nuclear deal, he added, "the US is basically saying you don't have to work with China, in a development tied to the same story.
Separately, US signs landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia Published4 hours ago.
