President Donald Trump introduced a new condition to a recently signed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, stating that the deal is contingent on Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. This announcement came one day after the United States and Saudi Arabia finalized the multi-billion-dollar agreement aimed at advancing Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy program.

The initial agreement, signed on Wednesday by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman, did not mention any linkage to Saudi-Israeli normalization. Trump’s social media statement on Thursday emphasized that if Saudi Arabia does not join the Abraham Accords — a diplomatic framework established in 2020 to foster ties between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries — the nuclear deal would be “off.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that the president is the “final dealmaker” and insisted the condition had been communicated “on numerous occasions” prior to the announcement.

Saudi Arabia has historically positioned the establishment of a Palestinian state as a prerequisite for normalizing relations with Israel. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials have indicated that Riyadh would not recognize Israel absent progress on Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose office praised the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords as a “historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East,” has rejected Palestinian statehood as untenable for Israel’s security.

The civilian nuclear deal is projected to last 30 years and involve U.S. firms in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure. It reportedly allows for the potential construction of uranium-enrichment facilities following joint studies, which has prompted concerns about nuclear proliferation. Unlike similar agreements with other countries, the deal does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency’s “additional protocol,” a more comprehensive framework for inspections and monitoring. Instead, sensitive inspections would be performed by American personnel under the terms of the agreement.

Critics, including members of the U.S. Congress and nuclear nonproliferation experts, have expressed reservations that the deal lacks sufficient safeguards to prevent Saudi Arabia from potentially producing weapons-grade uranium in the future. Israel has also voiced apprehension about a Saudi nuclear program, fearing it could trigger a regional arms race.

The timing of Trump’s announcement adds uncertainty to the deal’s future, as neither the Saudi government nor the U.S. Energy Department had signaled the normalization condition at the time of signing. The Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the new stipulation, and sources familiar with the matter suggested that the condition was not formally discussed during recent negotiations.

The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 by Israel and countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, have facilitated the establishment of formal diplomatic and economic relations between Israel and select Arab nations. Saudi Arabia’s potential participation would represent a significant development in Middle Eastern diplomacy given the kingdom’s influence within the Muslim world.

Efforts to broker Saudi-Israeli normalization have been complicated by recent regional conflicts, including the ongoing war in Gaza and tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Prior attempts during the Biden administration to link nuclear cooperation with diplomatic ties to Israel stalled, as Saudi Arabia maintained its conditions tied to Palestinian statehood and regional stability.

The nuclear agreement must undergo congressional review, and while significant bipartisan opposition has emerged, it remains unclear if lawmakers will be able to block the deal, especially if the administration invokes a veto. Trump’s latest condition tying the deal to Saudi-Israeli normalization introduces additional diplomatic hurdles that could challenge the agreement’s implementation in the near term.