President Trump [AP=Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump linked the conclusion of a nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia to the kingdom's accession to the "Abraham Accords" on the 23rd (local time). He also insisted that there would be no enrichment of nuclear materials by Saudi Arabia.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social that day, President Trump announced he would approve the nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia (the so-called "123 Agreement"), stating, "This is entirely conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the highly respected and successful Abraham Accords."

The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements brokered by the U.S. during President Trump's first term, through which the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

Given that the second Trump administration has been working to expand the accords to other Middle Eastern nations, it appears that the U.S. has demanded that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel as a prerequisite for the nuclear energy deal.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in a briefing that "this agreement with Saudi Arabia is predicated on this condition (joining the Abraham Accords)," adding, "The President has made it clear that if Saudi Arabia does not join the Abraham Accords, this agreement (the 123 Agreement) will not proceed."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately welcomed the move, saying, "Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would be a historic leap toward peace in the Middle East."

However, U.S. media outlets noted that the 123 Agreement now faces a significant variable just one day after its signing, as Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that the "creation of an independent Palestinian state" is a condition for normalizing relations with Israel—a position that remains difficult for Israel to accept.

Additionally, regarding the 123 Agreement signed by the energy ministers of both countries the previous day, President Trump emphasized that it is a "civilian nuclear agreement" with "no enrichment of (nuclear) materials," and that it is "strictly for non-military purposes, similar to what Iran, the UAE, and others already possess."

President Trump added, "The United States does not oppose civilian, non-enrichment nuclear facilities."

Regarding this agreement, U.S. media reported that it could potentially pave the way for the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials by allowing Saudi Arabia to conduct its own enrichment and reprocessing, fueling concerns that it could accelerate a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

While President Trump sought to dismiss these concerns by asserting that there would be "no enrichment," The New York Times (NYT) and CNN pointed out that his remarks differ from the explanations provided by officials.

Citing anonymous U.S. officials, the NYT reported that "a key feature of this agreement is that after the U.S. and Saudi Arabia conduct a joint study (over two years) on the economic viability of nuclear fuel production, Saudi Arabia could potentially be permitted to enrich uranium or reprocess (extract) plutonium on its own soil."

CNN also cited sources noting that the deal could lead to Saudi Arabia enriching fuel for its civilian reactors, adding, "It is notable that there is no obligation to sign the standard 'Additional Protocol' with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), unlike when the UAE signed the so-called 'Gold Standard' nuclear cooperation agreement with the U.S. in 2009."

The "Gold Standard" accepted by the UAE signifies the waiver of the right to produce indigenous nuclear fuel through enrichment or reprocessing. The Additional Protocol allows for surprise inspections of all suspected sites within a country, including undeclared facilities.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the previous day that it had signed the 123 Agreement and the accompanying safeguards agreement, stating, "By providing U.S. companies with broad participation in Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy program, this will benefit U.S. businesses, workers, and supply chains while also contributing to Saudi Arabia's energy needs."

The Department of Energy explained that "these two agreements adhere to high standards of nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation, and enhance regional and U.S. security by strengthening America's competitive edge in the civil nuclear technology sector," but did not disclose the specific details of the agreements.