Trump says ‘it’s time’ for Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP, AP and Reuters, reported that US President Donald Trump has again linked a planned civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Riyadh normalising relations with Israel. Speaking on Friday, Trump rejected the idea that the US Department of Energy had announced the deal ahead of his position, saying the requirement for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords was understood by his administration and by Riyadh.

The agreement, signed on Wednesday by Washington and Riyadh, is intended to support the establishment of a civilian nuclear programme in Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration had initially presented it as a major, long-term commercial and strategic partnership, saying it would go to Congress for review. Energy Secretary Chris Wright described it as strengthening US-Saudi economic ties and wider security interests, while Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said it would help diversify energy sources and expand technology and investment cooperation.

Trump later said on social media, and repeated on Friday, that the deal should not proceed unless Saudi Arabia formally joins the Abraham Accords, the normalisation framework that previously brought Israel into diplomatic relations with several Arab states. Al Jazeera noted that Saudi Arabia has not responded to Trump’s latest remarks, but has long maintained that recognition of Israel depends on a credible route to Palestinian statehood, a position at odds with Israel’s current government.

Key details of the nuclear deal remain unclear because the full text has not been released. Some US media reports suggested it could allow domestic uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia, but Trump said there would be no enrichment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued the arrangement would not encourage nuclear proliferation because US contractors would manage the work and allow American oversight.