US-Saudi nuclear deal hinges on normalisation with Israel

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that President Trump has tied a proposed United States-Saudi Arabia civilian nuclear agreement to Riyadh normalising relations with Israel. According to the report, Trump said the nuclear arrangement would be “totally subject” to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, the framework through which several Arab states established diplomatic relations with Israel. The report was published on July 23, 2026.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said discussions are continuing, Al Jazeera reported. The available article text does not provide further details on the proposed nuclear deal, including its technical scope, safeguards, timeline, or what Saudi Arabia has requested or agreed to in the negotiations.

The issue matters because any US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement would carry major diplomatic and non-proliferation implications. Such deals typically require strict conditions governing nuclear technology, materials and oversight, and they can also require review under US law. A pact with Saudi Arabia would be especially sensitive because of the kingdom’s regional influence and the wider security balance in the Middle East.

The Abraham Accords, launched during Trump’s first term, normalised ties between Israel and several Arab governments. Saudi Arabia has not joined that framework, and its position on normalisation has been closely watched because a Saudi-Israeli agreement would represent a significant regional shift. Al Jazeera’s report indicates the Trump administration is linking that diplomatic objective to progress on nuclear cooperation, though negotiations remain unresolved.