Trump renews call for Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel, links move to nuclear deal
The United States has renewed its push for Saudi Arabia to establish formal diplomatic relations with Israel, with President Donald Trump publicly stating that the moment is right for Riyadh to take that step. The remarks reframe a long-running diplomatic effort and tie the prospect of a US nuclear cooperation agreement with the kingdom directly to the question of normalisation.
A longstanding US diplomatic priority
Normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Israel has been one of the most closely watched goals of US Middle East diplomacy in recent years. While several Arab states moved to recognise Israel through the Abraham Accords framework, Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and a custodian of Islam’s holiest sites, did not join that initial wave. Discussions about any potential rapprochement have continued behind the scenes, sometimes surfacing in public statements from officials in all three capitals.
Nuclear cooperation as a conditional factor
Trump has framed the prospect of a US nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia as conditional on Riyadh joining the normalisation track. In comments reported this week, the US president suggested that Washington would be prepared to advance cooperation on civil nuclear energy with the kingdom, but that such an arrangement would be linked to broader diplomatic alignment with Israel. The linkage reflects a US strategy that has sought to bundle economic, security and diplomatic incentives into a single package.
Strategic and regional considerations
Saudi Arabia has historically conditioned any move towards Israel on the establishment of a viable path to Palestinian statehood. The kingdom’s leadership has also pointed to the broader regional context, including tensions with Iran and the war in Gaza, as factors that shape its considerations. Israel, for its part, has signalled openness to expanding the circle of Arab partners, while emphasising that security guarantees and regional integration would accompany any new agreement.
Outlook for negotiations
Whether the latest US push will produce a breakthrough remains uncertain. Diplomatic processes of this kind typically unfold over months or years and involve parallel tracks covering security, energy and political recognition. For now, the renewed calls from Washington suggest that the file remains active, with the prospect of a Saudi-Israeli normalisation continuing to anchor a wider debate about the future of US engagement in the Middle East.
Source: Al Jazeera — read the original report.
