Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that Saudi Arabia must become a part of the Abraham Accords before the United States moves ahead with a proposed civilian nuclear agreement with the kingdom.

Trump linked the long-discussed nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia’s formal normalisation of relations with Israel, saying participation in the regional agreement framework remains a key condition.

Abraham Accords made a condition for nuclear deal

Speaking at an event focused on advancements in the US civilian nuclear sector, Trump said the Saudi nuclear agreement would proceed only after Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords, a framework for normalising relations between Israel and several Arab nations.

When asked about reports that negotiations on the nuclear deal had already progressed, Trump said there was no misunderstanding regarding the condition attached to the agreement.

He said Saudi Arabia was aware that joining the Abraham Accords was necessary for the deal to move forward.

Trump highlights Iran concerns

Trump said Saudi Arabia and other countries had earlier hesitated due to concerns over Iran but claimed that the regional situation had changed significantly.

Calling Iran a major challenge in the Middle East, Trump said Tehran’s influence had weakened and argued that regional cooperation was now more important.

He reiterated that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and said discussions with Tehran were continuing.

Civilian nuclear programme remains under discussion

Trump described the proposed Saudi agreement as a civilian nuclear deal, stressing that it would not involve uranium enrichment.

He added that any final agreement would still require approval from the US Congress.

The remarks came as Trump highlighted progress in America’s next-generation nuclear energy programme, including milestones achieved by privately funded advanced reactor projects.

US continues talks on Iran issue

During the interaction, Trump said the United States remained open to negotiations with Iran while keeping military options available.

He also said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had indicated they would not directly intervene in support of Iran, adding that any assistance from the two countries had not been significant.