President Donald Trump has reportedly halted a newly signed U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement, insisting he will not approve the deal unless Saudi Arabia agrees to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.

The agreement, signed Wednesday by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart after nearly two years of negotiations, reportedly granted Riyadh key concessions, including the ability to enrich uranium domestically and reduced international oversight.

According to CNN, the White House was angered after the Energy Department publicly announced the agreement before receiving President Trump’s final approval. The backlash intensified following criticism from conservative media questioning why the administration would support a Saudi nuclear program without securing normalization with Israel.

Trump’s new condition reportedly caught both U.S. negotiators and Saudi officials by surprise. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously stated that Saudi Arabia will not normalize ties with Israel without a pathway toward a Palestinian state.

The White House denied there was any internal rift, with spokesman Taylor Rogers saying the administration is fully aligned and that the agreement has always been contingent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. The Energy Department also denied reports of internal disagreements.

Reports that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu intervened to block the agreement were also dismissed by the White House, which said Trump and Netanyahu did not discuss the matter and that the President’s position has remained consistent. The agreement remains on hold, with the required congressional notifications yet to be submitted.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)