Trump again clarifies Saudi nuclear pact hinges on Abraham Accords

With no evidence that either Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would budge on that fundamental front, the U.S.-Saudi deal appears dead on arrival unless Trump decides to back down.

Asked why he appeared to add a new condition after Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced progress on a Saudi nuclear deal, Trump rejected the suggestion that anyone had gotten ahead of him.

The US and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday signed a long-negotiated civil nuclear cooperation pact that clears the way for American companies to build reactors in the kingdom and. in a departure from Washington's template, leaves a pathway for Riyadh to enrich uranium on its own soil.

By trying to force Saudi Arabia to recognise Israel in return for nuclear technology, President Trump has got people asking: who gets to have nuclear power in the Middle East?