By Stephen Kalin and Meridith McGraw

WASHINGTON -- President Trump said the fate of a landmark agreement to provide Saudi Arabia with a civilian nuclear program is tied to the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel, appearing to add a new condition to the deal that could complicate its path forward.

The deal "will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday, referring to a series of agreements brokered by the U.S. to normalize relations between Arab nations and Israel.

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for clarity on the president's comments.

Trump's comments call into question the terms of the nuclear deal signed a day earlier by his energy secretary, which was seen as a victory for Saudi Arabia and an upset for Israel, an undeclared nuclear power that has opposed nuclear proliferation by other regional states. The new condition could help Washington exercise greater leverage over Riyadh to normalize relations with Israel before the end of Trump's term.

The Trump administration announced the new 30-year, multibillion-dollar deal with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. It potentially opens the door to uranium enrichment in Saudi territory and gives American companies a central role in developing the kingdom's nuclear infrastructure while shutting out foreign competitors.

As part of the deal, U.S. and Saudi officials will conduct a two-year study to determine the commercial viability of American companies building a uranium enrichment facility in the kingdom. Enrichment would only begin if that study supports such a step.

Saudi Arabia was close to normalizing relations with Israel as part of a megadeal negotiated by the Biden administration that would have included a U.S. defense pact and cooperation on a civilian nuclear program. But those talks were sidetracked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel and the Israeli military's subsequent campaign in Gaza.

The Saudis are still open to normalization, but insist that the Israeli government commit to a time-bound and irreversible path to establishing a Palestinian state. They don't see a serious partner for peace in the current government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and faces a tough re-election contest in October.

Netanyahu's office echoed Trump's social-media post on Thursday, saying in a statement that Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would be "a historic leap forward."

The Saudi Embassy in Washington didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Write to Stephen Kalin at stephen.kalin@wsj.com and Meridith McGraw at Meridith.McGraw@WSJ.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 23, 2026 09:49 ET (13:49 GMT)