US President Donald Trump said the proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will soon receive approval, insisting the deal will not allow the kingdom to enrich uranium.
In a statement posted on social media, Trump said the agreement would be limited to peaceful civilian purposes, including electricity generation, and would not permit the development of nuclear weapons.
"Saudi Arabia will not be allowed to enrich uranium," Trump said.
He added that the United States supports peaceful civilian nuclear programmes only if they do not include uranium enrichment capabilities.
Trump also said the agreement would only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, the US-backed normalisation framework with Israel.
Israeli concerns
Trump's remarks come after reports of the proposed agreement sparked criticism from several Israeli politicians and former security officials, who warned it could trigger a regional nuclear arms race.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described the deal as a strategic mistake, arguing that allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium would threaten Israel's long-term security.
Former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman also opposed the proposal, saying a civilian nuclear programme could eventually pave the way for nuclear weapons and urging Israel to lobby the US Congress against the deal.
Another former defence minister, Benny Gantz, argued that any civilian nuclear programme for Saudi Arabia should be linked to a broader regional security framework and normalisation with Israel.
Congressional approval required
Civilian nuclear cooperation between Washington and Riyadh has been under discussion for years during both the Trump and Biden administrations.
The agreement still requires approval from the US Congress before it can take effect.
