Trump says there will be no nuclear deal without Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel.
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has said the United States will not finalize a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia until the kingdom joins the Abraham Accords, a deal to normalize relations with Israel.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Saudi Arabia should become a member of the Abraham Accords and made it clear that the nuclear deal would not move forward without that step.
“To do that, they have to become a member of the Abraham Accords… Now is the time for them to do that. They and others didn’t want to do that because of the problem they had with Iran. Now you don’t have that problem… They were bullies in the Middle East. They’re not really that bad anymore,” he said.
The remarks followed Trump’s recent approval of a proposed framework for US-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation, although the deal must be approved by the US Congress before it can take effect.
In a statement posted on social media, Trump said the proposed arrangement between the US Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia would not allow uranium enrichment. He added that the program would be limited to peaceful, civilian purposes, similar to the civilian nuclear programs pursued by countries including Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Trump reiterated that Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Abraham Accords will remain a fundamental condition for the deal to move forward.
The President also discussed the situation regarding Iran, saying that he has not yet decided whether to authorize large-scale military strikes against the country. According to Trump, the ongoing talks with Tehran have become very serious in recent days.
“We’re talking to them right now,” Trump said, adding that Iranian officials appeared to be more serious as negotiations continued.
The post Trump says that there will be no nuclear deal without Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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