The United States is no longer demanding Saudi Arabia normalise ties with Israel as a condition for progress on civil nuclear cooperation talks, two sources with knowledge of the matter have told Reuters ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit next week.
Dropping the demand that Saudi Arabia establish diplomatic relations with Israel would be a major concession by Washington.
The kingdom has repeatedly said it would not recognise Israel without a Palestinian state, frustrating the Joe Biden administration’s attempts to expand the Abraham Accords signed during Trump’s first term.
Under those accords, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalised relations with Israel. Progress towards Saudi recognition of Israel has been halted by fury in Arab countries over the conflict raging in Gaza. The nuclear talks had also stumbled over Washington’s non-proliferation concerns.
In a possible sign of a new approach, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that Saudi Arabia and the United States were on a “pathway” to a civil nuclear agreement when he visited the kingdom in April.
Saudi Arabia’s government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
