A day after the U.S. and Saudi Arabia’s energy ministers signed a nuclear agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that the deal is contingent upon Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. Posting on his personal platform on Thursday, Trump said the nuclear agreement would only be approved if Saudi Arabia joined the “highly respected and successful Abraham Accords.” He specified that the nuclear deal, which is currently being negotiated between the U.S. Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, solely concerns civilian use.
The civilian nuclear cooperation agreement was signed by the energy ministers on Wednesday, intending to allow the Gulf state to develop a civil nuclear program. The U.S. Department of Energy confirmed that it is a “peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement” that is designed to give U.S. companies access to the Saudi nuclear energy program.
While the official text has not been released, U.S. media outlets reported that the deal could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium in the future. Uranium enrichment can be used both to create fuel for power plants and to produce atomic bombs. U.S. Energy Minister Chris Wright asserted that it is “ensured” that Saudi Arabia will not manufacture nuclear weapons.
This agreement was coupled with a “bilateral security agreement.” Both pacts are intended to establish the legal framework for a decades-long, multi-billion dollar partnership that advances several economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear non-proliferation.
The Abraham Accords, which were signed in 2020 by Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and the U.S., later welcomed Sudan. The participating nations use these accords to acknowledge the importance of peace in the Middle East based on mutual understanding and coexistence. Prior to the accords, Bahrain and the UAE had not recognized Israel as an independent state. Although the documentation does not outline specific actions, it lays down principles such as addressing challenges through collaboration and dialogue.
Despite the assurances provided by U.S. officials, experts warn that the agreement is a new development for the U.S. and could increase the risk of future nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region.
