Trump says U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal requires Abraham Accords, bars enrichment

President Donald Trump said a U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement will be approved only if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords and said the pact allows “no enrichment of material,” adding a new political condition after the deal was signed Wednesday by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that if Saudi Arabia does not join the Abraham Accords, “the deal is off,” though it remains unclear how the administration would alter an agreement already signed with Riyadh. The accord would let Saudi Arabia build nuclear power plants using U.S. technology and has already drawn scrutiny in Congress and Israel over proliferation risks, inspection standards and the possibility of a Saudi enrichment pathway. Trump’s assertion that the deal bars enrichment appears in tension with accounts from people familiar with the agreement, who said it includes a two-year study on whether enrichment on Saudi soil is feasible and necessary and relies on U.S.-run inspections rather than the more stringent international model used in some other agreements. The deal is expected to be submitted to Congress, triggering a 90-day review period, but Trump’s new condition could complicate the agreement before lawmakers act.