President Trump has made the newly signed US-Saudi civil nuclear agreement conditional on Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords — a condition that appears nowhere in the signed text. He added it afterward on Truth Social, recasting an energy pact as a geopolitical bargain while Washington presses a military campaign against Iran.
Trump announced on July 23 that the freshly signed civil nuclear cooperation agreement between Washington and Riyadh carries a demand that was never written into it: Saudi Arabia must normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. According to the Financial Times, he wrote that the deal will be approved but is contingent on Riyadh joining the Accords: "totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords".
That agreement was signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, covering civilian nuclear technology while, per its text, barring uranium enrichment for military purposes. Crypto Briefing notes the terms contrast sharply with Washington’s firm opposition to Iran’s own uranium enrichment.
A condition absent from the text
The signed document makes no mention of Israel, the Abraham Accords, or normalization — it reads as a bilateral energy arrangement for non-military technology transfer. Trump’s public condition, layered on afterward, turns that arrangement into a geopolitical ultimatum.
Yet the Financial Times reports the pact still gives the kingdom a potential path to enriching uranium, lacking the "gold standard" protocols in many 123 agreements that bar enrichment and require IAEA inspections. Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities said Washington had never helped another country enrich uranium domestically because of proliferation concerns.
Riyadh weighs its options against the Iran backdrop
For Saudi Arabia, the calculation is whether normalization is worth the cooperation, or whether to turn to China or Russia, who would likely attach fewer conditions. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said any rapprochement with Israel depends on permanent steps toward a Palestinian state.
The deal lands amid a renewed US offensive against Iran. Crypto Briefing reports the US has run a five-month bombing campaign aimed at halting Iranian enrichment. Prediction markets now price 2.9% odds of a US-Iran deal before the August 13, 2026 deadline. Oil prices, meanwhile, hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May after Houthi attacks on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
Congress holds the next move
Any nuclear cooperation agreement still needs congressional approval under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act. Tying it to Israel normalization could help Trump win over pro-Israel lawmakers who might otherwise block nuclear transfers to the Gulf.
Sources: Crypto Briefing, Financial Times, Crypto Briefing
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