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Trump adds new Abraham Accords provision to Saudi nuclear deal

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the deal, which was already signed, is now ‘still being finalized’

Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Donald Trump (R) meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on November 18, 2025.

The new civilian nuclear cooperation agreement already signed between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia is now contingent on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday morning.

The president’s Truth Social post — in which he said the deal is “totally subject” to Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, a provision not previously disclosed by the administration — was quickly affirmed by the White House.

“Yes, this deal with Saudi Arabia, the energy deal, is contingent on this condition as far as the president is concerned,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing on Thursday. “So we’ll continue to talk with our Saudi counterparts to get the deal finalized, and hopefully see them joining the Abraham Accords very soon.”

It appeared that Trump thought to add the provision only after the signing ceremony, which took place on Wednesday afternoon between Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. 

Asked if Trump had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about it, Leavitt said, “As you know, the president just put out this statement a few hours ago. I don’t believe he’s had a call with MBS in the hours since.”

The new addition may have thrown a wrench in the agreement: Leavitt said the deal is “still being worked out,” despite already having been signed by the parties, and “will eventually, hopefully, be finalized with the condition that the president spoke about this morning.”

Leavitt also said she did not believe the provision was requested by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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