Saudis must recognise Israel for nuclear deal, says Trump

What the report says

BBC World News reports that US President Donald Trump has said a newly announced civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia will only move forward if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords, effectively requiring Saudi recognition of Israel. In a Truth Social post, Trump described the proposed nuclear cooperation as limited to civilian purposes and said it would not involve enrichment of nuclear material.

According to the BBC, Trump said approval of the deal is “totally subject” to Saudi Arabia entering the accords, the US-backed framework used to normalise relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority states. The statement links a major energy and strategic cooperation package with one of Washington’s long-running regional diplomatic goals: expanding formal ties between Israel and Arab governments.

The BBC notes that the announcement follows criticism from experts who warn that nuclear cooperation in the region could create proliferation risks, even if the agreement is presented as non-military. The issue is especially sensitive because nuclear capabilities have been central to recent tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

For context, the Abraham Accords were brokered during Trump’s first term in 2020 and initially brought Israel into formal relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Sudan and Morocco later normalised ties with Israel. Saudi Arabia, as a leading Gulf power and custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites, would represent a far more consequential addition, but the BBC report indicates the story is still developing and further details are expected.