Trump adds new condition to Saudi nuclear deal, says kingdom must normalize relations with Israel

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to add a condition to the newly signed agreement with Saudi Arabia for a civilian nuclear program, saying the deal would require the kingdom to normalize its relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. When the deal was announced Wednesday, neither the U.S. Energy Department nor the Saudi government made any mention of it being contingent on the kingdom's relations with Israel. Trump's social media post a day later asserting that the agreement was subject to the Saudis joining the accords was unexpected and almost certain to make finalizing the deal complicated. The Republican president also said the pact does not allow for enrichment of uranium. Trump said the agreement "will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords." He added that the U.S. "is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities." When asked by a reporter why the condition was not mentioned in the initial announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president was the "final dealmaker" and has called on Saudi Arabia to join the accords "on numerous occasions." The Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to comment Thursday on Trump's new assertions about the deal. Netanyahu's office in a statement applauded the prospect of Saudi Arabia joining the accords as a "historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East." The statement made no mention of the deal to bolster Saudi's civil nuclear program. The agreement is to be submitted to Congress for review, according to the U.S. and Saudi governments. The agreement does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency's "additional protocol," which would allow for more monitoring, inspections and verification, according to a second person familiar with the agreement.