President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Saudi Arabia over their civil nuclear deal, saying Riyadh must join the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with Israel.
The US and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on civil nuclear power, letting the kingdom enrich uranium and build nuclear reactors using US technology.
Under the agreement, Riyadh would not require the snap UN inspections that Washington has previously demanded from Iran.
The deal has to pass through the US Congress to go into force.
President Trump said: "The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!)...pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords."
Saudi Arabia's longstanding position has been that it would not sign the Abraham Accords unless there was an agreement on a roadmap to Palestinian statehood.
During Donald Trump's first term, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords, breaking a longstanding taboo to become the first Arab states to recognise Israel in a quarter century, with Morocco and Sudan both soon following suit.
Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met last year to discuss the deal
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The Trump administration said the civil nuclear deal abides by nonproliferation agreements in the US Atomic Energy Act, which are among the world's strongest.
Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, said the agreement supports efforts to diversify energy sources, and includes the "highest international standards" of nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation.
The deal would let Saudi Arabia enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste, both of which are potential pathways to a nuclear weapon.
The UAE agreed to forgo both when it signed a similar deal with the US under President Barack Obama in 2009.
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The signing of the deal was met with criticism in Israel
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Saudi Arabia's joining of the Abraham Accords "would be an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East."
Netanyahu's office did not specifically mention the civil nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia.
There had been concerns about the deal within Israel, with critics saying the deal compromises Israel's long-term security interests.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is seeking to unseat Netanyahu in an October 27 election, said: "The nuclear agreement that is coming together with Saudi Arabia, over Israel’s head, is a serious strategic failure that endangers our security."
Naftali Bennet is hoping to unseat Netanyahu
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A civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia has been in the works for years during both President Donald Trump's first administration and that of former President Joe Biden.
Israeli former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said that "the civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia will end in nuclear weapons and will lead to a crazy arms race throughout the entire Middle East."
Israel, which is widely believed to have the region's only nuclear arsenal, must oppose the deal and lobby Congress to stop the deal, he said.