President Donald Trump's statement that Saudi Arabia must normalize relations with Israel as a condition of its newly signed nuclear agreement with the United States has placed the kingdom in a difficult political position, according to Middle East analysts.

Trump said Thursday that Saudi recognition of Israel would be required under the agreement, despite the nuclear deal already having been signed, reports The New York Times. The terms of the agreement have not been publicly released.

Saudi Arabia has long maintained that it will not normalize relations with Israel without a credible pathway toward the creation of a Palestinian state. Saudi officials did not immediately respond publicly to Trump's remarks.

Analysts said the president's comments could complicate relations with Riyadh, where support for Israel remains low, particularly because of Israel's military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities, said Saudi leaders likely hope Trump's comments fade without requiring a formal response.

"I don't think the Saudis want to give this air," Kelanic said. "They want it to quietly go away."

Kelanic said agreeing to Trump's condition could create political risks for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, arguing that normalization with Israel under current circumstances would be deeply unpopular among Saudis.

Analysts cautioned, however, that it remains unclear whether Trump's remarks represent a firm requirement or a negotiating tactic.

"We don't know if this is just a transitory reaction or a serious condition," said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former State Department Middle East negotiator.

Miller said the president may be responding to criticism that the United States gave up leverage by finalizing the nuclear agreement without securing broader concessions from Saudi Arabia. The deal has drawn criticism in Israel and from some U.S. commentators.

Even so, Miller said Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalize relations with Israel's current government under existing conditions.

At the same time, both analysts said Trump's unpredictable negotiating style leaves open the possibility that the agreement could proceed without any changes.

Kelanic said Saudi officials may believe the president could later alter his public position and that his comments alone do not necessarily change the terms of the signed agreement.