How Trump upended the Saudi nuclear deal less than 24 hours after its signing

Key Points:

• The U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a long-awaited civilian nuclear agreement at the Energy Department headquarters, but the deal quickly unraveled after President Trump added a new condition requiring Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, which normalize relations with Israel.
• Trump was reportedly upset that Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the deal without his prior approval, leading to internal White House frustration and confusion over the rollout and terms of the agreement.
• The deal allows Saudi uranium enrichment under certain conditions and limits UN inspections, alarming nuclear nonproliferation experts, while proponents argue it offers strategic and commercial benefits by keeping Saudi nuclear development under U.S. influence.
• Conservative media skepticism, particularly from Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, influenced Trump’s decision to block the deal in its current form, emphasizing the absence of Saudi-Israeli normalization despite previous Biden administration efforts.
• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly sought to influence the deal to include normalization with Saudi Arabia, but the White House denied recent direct talks between Trump and Netanyahu, framing the new condition as consistent with Trump’s longstanding stance.