How Trump’s Gaza Blind Spot Torpedoed the Saudi Nuclear Deal
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The 24-Hour U-Turn: An Agreement Held Hostage
Just one day after the signing of a civilian nuclear pact (the “123 Agreement”) with Riyadh, US President Donald Trump intervened on Truth Social on July 23, 2026. He declared that the agreement was “totally subject to” Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and officially recognizing Israel.
Taking matters into his own hands, Trump added in his post: “(There will be no enrichment of material!)” — a glaring contradiction to the previously negotiated two-year feasibility studies for Saudi uranium enrichment.
Trump’s move retroactively transforms a complex technology-sharing project into a diplomatic cudgel. Washington is leveraging the US nuclear monopoly to force the recognition of Israel, while Saudi Arabia insists on a solution and recognition for Gaza as a non-negotiable prerequisite.
The “123 Agreement”
One day earlier, on July 22, 2026, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a historic bilateral civil nuclear agreement. This so-called “123 Agreement” was much more than a standard energy pact—it was a geostrategic masterstroke by Washington aimed at irreversibly tying Riyadh to the American security and economic architecture.
The US administration was under immense pressure: Saudi Arabia had unambiguously signaled its readiness to let America’s biggest geopolitical rivals build its civilian nuclear infrastructure. The Russian state corporation Rosatom and China’s CNNC were already on the shortlist of bidders.
To outmaneuver this competition, Washington was prepared to make extreme concessions: The deal guaranteed exclusive contracts to salvage the struggling US nuclear giant Westinghouse and broke with strict non-proliferation standards by offering the Saudis the prospect of future uranium enrichment without the standard IAEA Additional Protocol.
Media Backlash and Pressure from Tel Aviv
As CNN reported, the signing was a unilateral move by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, which the White House had actually wanted to halt out of concern over congressional resistance.
The next morning, in a social media post at 7:52 a.m.—just minutes after a Fox News panel discussed the topic—Trump announced the new condition for the deal. Conservative outlets like Fox News had accused Trump earlier that morning of giving away America’s most valuable technology without forcing Israeli recognition in return. Ironically, this was exactly the hardline condition his predecessor, Joe Biden, had always insisted upon.
As two Israeli sources confirmed to CNN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intended to specifically pressure Trump to include the normalization of ties with Riyadh as a mandatory component of the agreement.
The Abraham Accords Since 2020
The Abraham Accords are treaties normalizing relations with Israel, launched by Trump during his first term.
For years, the US has tried to bring Saudi Arabia (the most important country in the Arab world) into the fold. Trump had the ambitious goal of bringing Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table at the end of his first term, but Riyadh hesitated. The Biden administration (2022–2023) made a massive push to forge a “mega-deal.” The blueprint was identical: The Saudis receive US nuclear technology and defense pacts if they recognize Israel in return.
After October 7, 2023, and the war in Gaza, however, this concept became a political impossibility for Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman steadfastly refuses to join any framework that ignores the Palestinian reality.
The Gaza Illusion: Washington’s Asymmetrical Gamble
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government categorically rejects a Palestinian state, arguing it would reward terrorism. In the US-established Board of Peace for Gaza, founded in January 2026, Israel officially sits at the table in this 35-nation body, while a Palestinian representative is entirely absent. Although earlier plans envisioned Palestinian self-determination, the White House completely scrapped this goal in the final charter. Washington demands the unilateral disarmament of Hamas and is consequently blocking $17 billion in reconstruction funds. Simultaneously, the Israeli military maintains a physical presence in at least 60 percent of the Gaza Strip—even more than the initially agreed-upon 53 percent.
Under these conditions, disarmament without a neutral peacekeeping force is tantamount to capitulation for Palestinian fighters.
Why Peace in the Middle East Remains Elusive
With the 123 Agreement, Trump could pave the way for genuine peace—and simultaneously save the multi-billion-dollar civil nuclear pact—if he were willing to accept the Saudi condition: granting Palestinians the same recognition and statehood as Israelis.
However, by tying the agreement exclusively to the recognition of Israel and completely sidelining the Palestinian question, he is driving the deal into a dead end. The result is fatal: Lasting peace in the Middle East slips further out of reach, while the US risks losing its security influence over Riyadh and potentially ceding the Kingdom’s nuclear future to rivals like China or Russia.
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