Leavitt deflects questions about new conditions on Saudi nuclear deal
The Hill · C · trust 37/100
Comments: by TheHill.com - 07/23/26 12:44 PM ET Comments: Link copied by TheHill.com - 07/23/26 12:44 PM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not offer any new information regarding the civilian nuclear deal Thursday after President Trump made it conditional on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel.
“The president is always the final dealmaker, as you know, and this is something that he has mentioned on numerous occasions going back,” Leavitt told reporters Thursday at a press briefing.
“I can provide you with those statements, and he has said if they don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off,” she continued. “So, we’ll continue to have those conversations with our Saudi counterparts moving forward.”
The agreement, which was presented as a decades-long, multibillion-dollar deal , was signed Wednesday by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart, but there was no mention of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords until Trump’s post on Truth Social earlier Thursday.
Leavitt said she didn’t want to comment on the specifics of the deal because the countries are “still talking,” despite the Energy Department announcing it was signed Wednesday.
“This agreement is still being worked out,” she added. “It will eventually, hopefully, be finalized with the condition that the president spoke about this morning.”
Trump earlier Thursday said the nuclear deal will include “no enrichment of material” and will be “totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”
The press secretary also noted that Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords has been discussed with the Saudis many times, but she said she didn’t think Trump had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman since he made the announcement.
The normalization condition leaves the whole deal in question — the Saudis have said that any normalization with Israel is conditioned on seeing a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state , a premise that the Israelis dismiss.
When asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested the normalization provision, she said, “Not to my knowledge, no.”
Full details of the framework have yet to be released. It will be sent to Congress for review.
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