US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) addressed reports last night (Thursday) that the Trump administration has decided to drop the demand for normalization with Israel as a condition for a security agreement with Saudi Arabia.
"I have been working on and supportive of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel for years. This historic agreement would effectively end the Arab-Israeli conflict and allow the region to march toward the light and away from darkness, building on the historic Abraham Accords," Graham wrote on X.
He continued, "However, I would like to make it crystal clear that I will never support a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia or other elements of a proposed deal that does not include normalizing the relationship with Israel as a part of the package. Normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel is an essential element."
Reuters reported yesterday that the United States has reportedly dropped its requirement that Saudi Arabia normalize ties with Israel as a condition for advancing civil nuclear cooperation. This change in approach comes as US President Donald Trump prepares for a diplomatic visit to the kingdom, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Previously, nuclear negotiations were linked to a broader deal involving a US-Saudi defense agreement and the normalization of Saudi-Israel relations. However, Saudi officials have maintained that they will not formalize ties with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state, a position that has gained further traction amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Despite revived engagement, a civil nuclear deal remains elusive. One of the primary obstacles is Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to accept the nonproliferation requirements outlined in Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act. This legislation restricts uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing, both of which are viewed as pathways to nuclear weapons development.