The US-Saudi Arabia nuclear deal is falling apart almost as quickly as it was unveiled, due to President Donald Trump’s new condition.
Mr Trump, on Thursday, said the deal, which allows the kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme, was subject to Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords; a condition that was not previously indicated.
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Mr Trump also denied that the agreement would allow uranium enrichment.
“The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!)… 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 on Truth Social.
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The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements brokered under Mr Trump’s first administration, which made several Arab countries to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel.
Mr Trump’s comment came after criticism from experts over the absence of a normalisation agreement. The deal also drew ire from Israel, which wants normal relations with the Kingdom.
Aside from this, Israel, an undeclared nuclear state, is concerned that the deal could set Saudi Arabia on a path to enrich higher-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb eventually. This would change the balance of power in the Middle East and trigger an arms race.
The deal also came amid the escalation of tension with Iran due to disagreement over the control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s Uranium enrichment.
Although many of the details remain unclear, the “peaceful nuclear cooperation” is a 30-year multi-billion-dollar deal designed to meet the energy needs of the oil-rich country.
The bill is signed under US law that allows the transfer of US nuclear technology while preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Mr Trump’s comment was no surprise as this condition had been discussed with Saudi leaders on numerous previous occasions.
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“He has said if they don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off,” she said. “So we’ll continue to have those conversations with our Saudi counterparts moving forward.”
Saudi Arabia is yet to respond to the new condition.
Analysts, however, argue that it is unlikely that Saudi-Arabia agrees to this, given that it has been clear on its stance on the recognition of Palestinian statehood as the prerequisite for normalising ties with Israel.
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