President Donald Trump has thrown his own nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia into doubt by demanding Riyadh recognise Israel as a condition for the agreement to go ahead – a move that came as the White House threatened “major military punishment” over Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers.
Trump announced the condition on Truth Social late Wednesday, hours after the US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation deal was unveiled. “The Civil Nuclear Deal… which pertains only to non-military use… will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” he wrote.
“Trump demands Saudi Arabia recognize Israel for nuclear deal after Houthi attacks threaten oil.”
The sudden demand risks unravelling the agreement at a time of soaring oil prices, after Yemen’s Houthi rebels – backed by Iran – fired on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea. Trump had earlier warned of “major military punishment” not only for Iran but also for its Houthi allies.
Channel 4 News described the president’s condition as leaving “his own deal in ruins”. It was not immediately clear whether the recognition requirement was written into the text of the nuclear deal, which has not been released, or whether Saudi Arabia had agreed to it. The kingdom has not responded to Trump’s remarks.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Trump had discussed the condition with Saudi leaders on “numerous previous occasions”. “He has said if they don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off,” she told reporters. “So we’ll continue to have those conversations with our Saudi counterparts moving forward.”
The nuclear deal announced on Wednesday jettisons longstanding US demands, according to the BBC. It includes a “peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement” and a “bilateral safeguards agreement”, the US Department of Energy said, adding that the two accords “lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation”. The deal is subject to US congressional review.
Critics have warned that the agreement could fuel nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region. Some Republican and Democratic lawmakers expressed concerns, though opponents do not appear to have the votes to block it, as Trump’s party controls both chambers of Congress.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Thursday it was aware of the US-Saudi plans and looked forward to receiving a request for verification measures.
During Trump’s first term, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords, normalising relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia’s stance on the issue has been a key factor in Middle East diplomacy, and Trump’s ultimatum now places the nuclear partnership – and regional stability – on a knife-edge.