Trump Ties Saudi Nuclear Deal to Joining Abraham Accords

The nuclear cooperation deal, finalized on Wednesday, was intended to provide Saudi Arabia with U.S. nuclear technology and infrastructure. For the Trump administration, the agreement was framed as an America First policy victory, designed to ensure American companies take a central role in developing the kingdom’s nuclear infrastructure, effectively shutting out foreign competitors. However, the president’s sudden pivot on Thursday—asserting that the deal is contingent on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords—has cast the future of the multibillion-dollar pact into doubt.

Conditions and Congressional Review

The agreement, which includes a bilateral safeguards document, is expected to be submitted to Congress for review in the coming days. While the administration argues the deal will strengthen U.S.-Saudi ties and revitalize the American nuclear industry, the lack of clarity regarding the new Abraham Accords requirement has left lawmakers and observers questioning the stability of the arrangement. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the administration’s stance, telling reporters that if Riyadh does not join the Abraham Accords the deal is off.

This condition appears to be an addition to the finalized text. Neither the U.S. Energy Department nor the Saudi government mentioned such a contingency when the agreement was first announced. The discrepancy has prompted concerns among policy experts regarding the administration’s approach to long-term diplomatic commitments.

Uranium Enrichment and Nonproliferation Concerns

A primary point of contention surrounding the deal involves the potential for uranium enrichment. While the Trump administration has maintained that the pact does not allow for enrichment of uranium, the agreement’s framework has been a subject of intense debate. President Trump explicitly addressed these concerns on social media, writing, There will be no enrichment of material!

Despite these assurances, experts remain wary. Robert Einhorn, a former longtime senior State Department official, noted that while the deal could serve strategic interests, it remains controversial among lawmakers who oppose the spread of nuclear technology in the volatile Middle East.

Regional Diplomacy and the Abraham Accords

The push to link nuclear cooperation with the Abraham Accords reflects a broader diplomatic strategy that has persisted across multiple U.S. administrations.

The Biden administration previously explored similar nuclear cooperation, but those talks stalled, in part due to the 2024 election. By attaching this new condition, the Trump administration has effectively returned to a framework that had been previously sidelined. As noted by Elisa Ewers of the Council on Foreign Relations, the timing of the announcement has drawn criticism: Leave it to this administration to negotiate after the signatures are barely dry, she said.

For now, the status of the deal rests on whether Saudi Arabia will accept the new stipulation. With the agreement heading to Congress, the administration faces a review process where opponents of the deal do not appear to have the votes needed to block it.