Trump Says U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal Is Off Unless Riyadh Joins Abraham Accords

President Trump said on July 23, 2026 that a newly signed U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement is "totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining" the Abraham Accords, the framework normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced the condition, telling reporters, "If they don't join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off," according to The New York Times.

The administration's announcement a day earlier that the Energy Department had signed the deal contained no mention of such a condition. Tying nuclear cooperation to Saudi normalization with Israel links two of the most consequential strands of U.S. Middle East policy and adds public leverage, and uncertainty, to an agreement that carries nonproliferation implications.

Saudi Arabia has not publicly agreed to join the accords, and the status of the nuclear deal now appears contingent on that step.