President Donald Trump issued a pair of warnings on Truth Social, first placing a new condition on a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, then, roughly 20 minutes later, cautioning Iran and its Houthi proxy groups against further attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Saudi Nuclear Deal Gets a New Condition
In the first post, published at 6:52 a.m. on Thursday morning, Trump focused on a civil nuclear agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Trump wrote that the deal “pertains only to non-military use,” similar to the civil nuclear programs Iran, the UAE, and other countries already have. He added that the deal “will be approved” — but only if Saudi Arabia agrees to join “the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” the diplomatic effort he started during his first term to build formal ties between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority nations.
Trump stated that the arrangement would not permit uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, writing, “There will be no enrichment of material!” He closed by stating that “the United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities.”
By tying final approval to the Abraham Accords, Trump is reviving a long-standing U.S. demand – that Saudi Arabia improve relations with Israel -V before the nuclear deal can move forward.
What Are the Abraham Accords?
The Abraham Accords are a series of historic normalization agreements brokered by the United States in 2020 during Trump’s first term. They established full diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
The accords marked a major shift in Middle East diplomacy by focusing on shared interests like security, trade, and technology rather than resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict first. Trump has frequently described them as one of his signature foreign policy achievements and continues to push for more countries — including Saudi Arabia — to join.
Trump Warns Iran, Houthis Over Red Sea Attacks
In the second post, published at 7:16 a.m., Trump recalled that “a year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis” for interfering with maritime commerce and shipping routes by firing at non-military ships. He noted that since that campaign — and throughout the U.S. conflict with Iran — the Yemen-based militant group “have acted very responsibly.”
The President did note that the restraint appears to be ending, pointing to an overnight attack on two Saudi Arabian vessels.
“Unfortunately, now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night,” Trump wrote. He warned that if the Houthis strike again, the United States “will hold Iran responsible,” describing the group as a “Surrogate and/or Proxy” of Tehran.
"They are starting up again… If they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves" – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aGLaW6C4nw
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 23, 2026
Additionally, Trump said any repeat attack would trigger “major military punishment” against both Iran and the Houthis and added that he was “very disappointed” in the group, which he said had otherwise “acted very professionally and smart” until now.
The President’s warning could be a sign that the U.S. is ready to expand its response beyond Yemen and strike Iran directly if the Houthi groups keep attacking ships.
Two Fronts, One Message
Together, the two posts show Trump applying pressure on two fronts at once – drawing a hard line against Iran and the Houthis in the Red Sea, while using the Saudi nuclear deal as leverage to push Riyadh toward normalizing ties with Israel.
Reactions to Trump’s Posts
Reactions started rolling in within hours of Trump’s posts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was among the first to respond in a quick statement, calling a potential Saudi entry into the Abraham Accords “an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East,” and adding the phrase “Peace through Strength” in support of Trump’s push.
Overseas, France’s Foreign Ministry also weighed in on the Red Sea attacks themselves, calling the Houthi strikes on Saudi tankers “irresponsible and a serious escalation” and urging the group to stand down, per France24.com.
Provided by Dallas Express
