Trump conditions Saudi nuclear deal on Israel normalization
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- Trump conditioned a Saudi nuclear deal on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, throwing the agreement into question less than 24 hours after it was announced on Wednesday.
- Trump's Thursday reversal diverged sharply from what sources familiar with the deal had disclosed a day earlier, leaving open whether the pivot amounts to a full U-turn on the agreement.
Why it matters: By making civilian nuclear cooperation contingent on Israel normalization, Trump has fused two previously separate diplomatic tracks, forcing Saudi Arabia to choose between atomic energy access and formal recognition of Israel.
