Saudi Arabia is showing no signs of accepting the normalization of relations with Israel—a condition set by the United States for signing a bilateral nuclear agreement—despite pressure from Washington, according to the U.S. political media outlet The Hill.

The Hill reported on the 27th (local time) that Saudi Arabia is maintaining a cautious stance toward U.S. President Donald Trump's demands.

The normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia has been discussed as a key condition for sealing a "package deal" that would pave the way for Saudi Arabia to operate a civilian nuclear program with U.S. assistance.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly demanded uranium enrichment rights and other concessions in return for the U.S. demand to normalize relations with Israel.

When U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the signing of a nuclear pact known as the "123 Agreement" on the 22nd, the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel was not specified as a provision of the pact.

However, the very next day, President Trump reaffirmed his stance that normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel—namely, joining the Abraham Accords—is necessary as a precondition for the agreement.

Saudi Arabia has demanded that Israel provide a concrete and irreversible timeline for recognizing a Palestinian state as a condition for normalization, but Israel has refused.

The Hill explained that the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and armed conflicts in the West Bank and Lebanon have made it even more difficult for Saudi Arabia to embrace Israel.

Mohammed Alhamed, a geopolitical expert and chairman of the consulting group Saudi Elite, told The Hill, "If Saudi recognition of Israel were an official condition of the nuclear agreement, it would have been negotiated and included as an explicit clause prior to the pact's signing."

He added, "President Trump's remarks appear to be aimed primarily at his domestic support base to reassure Israel supporters."

Experts analyze that while President Trump's pressure could delay the implementation of the nuclear agreement, it is unlikely that Saudi Arabia would completely scrap the deal with the U.S.

While Russia and China could serve as alternatives for civilian nuclear cooperation, Saudi Arabia places a higher value on its long-term partnership with the United States, according to the analysis.

Michael Ratney, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, predicted, "If Saudi Arabia develops nuclear energy, it wants it to happen within the framework of its relationship with the U.S., and it will not seek to explore alternatives for building nuclear plants."

Although the full text of the agreement has not been made public, it is reportedly loaded with multi-billion-dollar long-term contracts for U.S. companies to play a central role in building Saudi Arabia's nuclear infrastructure.

Given this, Ambassador Ratney analyzed that Saudi officials are likely pausing to catch their breath and refraining from actions that could provoke President Trump.

"If I were in the Saudis' shoes, I would think, 'This is a huge business opportunity for U.S. companies; would Trump want to kill this mega-deal?'" he said, forecasting, "They are going to hit pause, catch their breath, and quietly watch how things play out."

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