Trump adds conditions to Saudi nuclear deal after signing
7 reported1 unconfirmed1 conflicting
The Trump administration signed a 30-year, multibillion-dollar nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but President Donald Trump then added new conditions that contradicted earlier reports about the deal. The terms of the agreement signed by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart have not been released. Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that there would be "no enrichment of material" under the deal and that the agreement is "totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords." This condition was not reported in earlier media accounts based on statements from US officials. The Saudi government has not yet responded to Trump's statement, but sources close to the talks indicated no such pledge was included in negotiations. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt affirmed that the deal would be "off" unless Saudi Arabia joined the Abraham Accords. The agreement will now be submitted to Congress for a 90-day review period.
What’s reported
The US and Saudi Arabia signed a 30-year, multibillion-dollar nuclear energy cooperation agreement on Wednesday.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed the deal with his Saudi counterpart.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that there would be "no enrichment of material" and that the deal requires Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the deal would be "off" unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords.
The agreement will be submitted to Congress for a 90-day review period.
Sources close to the talks indicated no such pledge about the Abraham Accords was included in negotiations.
The deal could potentially help Saudi Arabia construct facilities to enrich its own uranium, which experts called unprecedented in US nuclear policy.
Conflicting accounts
Trump's Thursday Truth Social post contradicted earlier media reports based on US officials' statements that the deal included potential US help for Saudi uranium enrichment. The Saudi government has not responded to Trump's statement, and sources close to the talks indicated no Abraham Accords pledge was in the negotiations.
Open questions
Whether the deal will proceed given Trump's new conditions, and whether Saudi Arabia will agree to join the Abraham Accords.
Key figures
President Donald Trump
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt
Matthew Kroenig, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council
James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment
Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association
Robert Einhorn, former State Department special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control
Sources: vox.com
