Leavitt: No nuclear deal unless Saudis recognize Israel

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday reaffirmed President Trump's last-minute demand that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with Israel, as a condition of the already signed U.S. agreement to sell nuclear technology to the kingdom.

"This is a condition that the president has spoken about many times with our Gulf and Arab allies. He wants to see these countries sign the Abraham Accords," she told reporters. "Yes, this deal with Saudi Arabia, the energy deal, is contingent on this condition as far as the president is concerned. So, we'll continue to talk with our Saudi counterparts to get the deal finalized and hopefully see them join the Abraham Accords very soon."

Asked why the condition was not mentioned when the agreement was announced Wednesday, Ms. Leavitt said the president is "always the final dealmaker."

"This is something that he has mentioned on numerous occasions," she said. "He has said if they don't join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off."

The new condition throws the agreement into question, as the Saudi government has long made clear it has no intention of recognizing Israel without a pathway toward the creation of a Palestinian state.

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