US President Donald Trump on Thursday injected uncertainty into his newly signed nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, saying the pact hinges on Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel.
The stipulation threatens to stymie the agreement, which allows Saudi to build nuclear power plants with US technology, giving the kingdom a path to an enrichment program.
Riyadh has long pegged normalization with Israel to the establishment of a Palestinian state, which Israel’s government opposes. But Iran’s attacks across the Middle East have placed the Gulf and Israel on the same side of the conflict, which could at least “make normalization easier,” Semafor’s Gulf editor wrote.
The US-Saudi deal faced criticism from some lawmakers and experts who worry it could unleash an arms race in the Middle East.