How Trump upended the Saudi nuclear deal less than 24 hours after its signing - CNN

What the report says

CNN reports that a U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement announced at the Energy Department on Wednesday was thrown into doubt less than a day later when President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia would first have to join the Abraham Accords. The signing involved Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Washington and his Saudi counterpart appearing remotely from Riyadh, after a diplomatic effort that CNN says had been discussed for nearly 20 years.

According to CNN, the deal had given Riyadh several terms it sought, including a pathway for uranium enrichment on Saudi territory once conditions were met and limits involving inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog. Trump also said Thursday that the arrangement would not allow enrichment, creating further confusion over the agreement’s status. The White House later said the nuclear talks had always been tied to Saudi normalization with Israel, while the Energy Department said it had coordinated closely with the White House and State Department.

CNN cited sources saying Trump was upset that Wright announced the agreement without telling him and that the rollout drew criticism from nonproliferation experts and conservative media, including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal editorial page. Some officials viewed the deal as unfinished because required congressional notifications had not yet been sent. Trump told reporters Friday, with Wright present, that he had not discussed the signing with him but that the Abraham Accords condition was understood.

The dispute matters because nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia raises proliferation, commercial and regional security questions. Supporters argue U.S. involvement could shape Saudi nuclear standards and counter Chinese or Russian influence, while critics object to enrichment permissions and weaker safeguard commitments. CNN said the Saudi embassy was contacted for comment.