Want Civil Nuclear Deal? Sign Abraham Accords First, Trump Tells Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump on Friday said he would not go forward with a civil nuclear deal with ‌Saudi Arabia unless the Islamic Kingdom agreed to a normalization in relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.

The President’s comments put at risk an understanding developed over years for the setting up of nuclear power installations in Saudi Arabia as Riyadh seeks to move away from oil-based power generation.

On July 23, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman had signed an agreement on developing the first commercial nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has so far not commented on Trump’s sudden demand but its position on Israel has been consistent - it wants the Jewish state to first make peace with the Palestinians and push back to its 1967 borders before it establishes diplomatic relations with Israel.

The U.S., Saudi agreement highlights:

The deal omits the IAEA Additional Protocol for intrusive snap inspections.

It allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste.

The U.S. Congress now has 90 session days to object before the pact takes effect.

When asked if Trump has spoken to the Saudi Crown Prince, Salman about his  new demand, a White House spokesperson said not yet adding that this has been Trump’s position all along.