Trump Links Saudi Nuclear Deal to Abraham Accords, Rules Out Uranium Enrichment: U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Saudi Arabia will not be permitted to enrich uranium under a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement signed between Washington and Riyadh this week, while making it clear that the deal is contingent on the Kingdom establishing diplomatic relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump emphasized that the agreement includes a strict prohibition on uranium enrichment by Saudi Arabia, a provision that has long been at the center of discussions over civilian nuclear cooperation in the Middle East.
“There will be no enrichment of material!” Trump wrote, adding that the agreement is “totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”
The comments come a day after U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed agreements covering civilian nuclear cooperation and nuclear safeguards. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the accords are designed to establish the foundation for a long-term, multibillion-dollar partnership in the development of civilian nuclear energy.
While the White House has not yet released the full text of the agreement, the Energy Department said the framework is intended to support cooperation in nuclear technology, energy infrastructure, and related fields over the coming decades.
The agreement will now be submitted to the U.S. Congress for review, a mandatory step under the Atomic Energy Act before the United States can move forward with significant civilian nuclear cooperation agreements involving foreign governments.
Trump’s insistence that Saudi Arabia forego uranium enrichment addresses one of the most sensitive issues in international nuclear diplomacy. Although uranium enrichment can be used to produce fuel for civilian nuclear power plants, the same technology can also be employed to produce highly enriched uranium suitable for nuclear weapons if developed beyond civilian levels.
For years, U.S. policymakers and lawmakers have debated whether Saudi Arabia should be allowed to develop an indigenous uranium enrichment capability as part of any civilian nuclear program. Successive administrations have sought to balance support for peaceful nuclear energy with efforts to prevent the spread of technologies that could contribute to nuclear weapons development.
Trump also linked the nuclear agreement to the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered normalization framework that has led several Arab nations to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. Saudi Arabia has not formally joined the accords, although discussions over possible normalization have continued intermittently in recent years.
By making participation in the Abraham Accords a condition of the nuclear agreement, Trump signaled that the administration views expanded regional diplomatic recognition of Israel as an integral component of its broader Middle East strategy.
The announcement has also sparked political debate in Washington. Democratic lawmakers have voiced concerns that expanding civilian nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia could have broader implications for regional security, particularly at a time of heightened tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticized the agreement, arguing that it could encourage greater nuclear competition across the Middle East. In a post on social media, Murphy said the deal “will set off a nuclear race in the region,” adding that it could reduce incentives for Iran to limit its own nuclear activities.
The debate comes against the backdrop of continuing tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The United States and Israel have argued that preventing Tehran from advancing toward a nuclear weapons capability remains a key regional security objective. Military strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 further intensified concerns about nuclear proliferation and strategic stability across the region.
Supporters of the agreement contend that strict safeguards, combined with a prohibition on domestic uranium enrichment, would allow Saudi Arabia to pursue civilian nuclear energy while minimizing proliferation risks. Critics, however, remain skeptical, arguing that any expansion of nuclear capabilities in the region could prompt neighboring countries to seek similar programs.
As Congress prepares to review the agreement, lawmakers are expected to closely examine its safeguards, verification mechanisms, and strategic implications. Until the full text is made public, many of the agreement’s specific provisions—including the legal status of the conditions outlined by Trump—remain unclear.
The deal is likely to become a focal point in both U.S. foreign policy and Middle East diplomacy, as questions over nuclear security, regional normalization, and strategic alliances continue to shape Washington’s engagement with its Gulf partners.
