Trump Submits Nuclear Deal with Saudi Arabia to Congress, Including "Israeli Condition"
The historic 30-year agreement grants American companies a central role in developing Saudi nuclear infrastructure while excluding foreign competitors. Trump insists the deal will only proceed if the kingdom normalizes relations with Israel—a last-minute condition. The agreement faces controversy over potential uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, with months of congressional debate expected.
US President Donald Trump has submitted a historic nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, while maintaining a last-minute condition: a requirement that the kingdom normalize its relations with Israel. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing a source within the US administration.
The move is expected to spark months of intense debate among lawmakers regarding how to strengthen the American nuclear industry while simultaneously curbing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
When administration officials unveiled the 30-year agreement last month, they noted it would grant American companies a central role in developing Saudi Arabia's nuclear infrastructure, effectively excluding foreign competitors from the arena.
However, the agreement remains controversial as it could open the door to uranium enrichment on Saudi soil—the most sensitive aspect of the deal—raising concerns about the proliferation of nuclear capabilities with military potential.
Years of Negotiations
The agreement, signed in late July between US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, is the result of years of negotiations—spanning both Trump's first term and the Joe Biden administration—that previously failed to materialize due to warnings from nuclear non-proliferation organizations.
At the heart of the dispute was Saudi Arabia's demand to retain the option to enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear fuel—activities that could serve a civilian program but also act as a step toward producing fissile material for weapons.
For comparison, the UAE renounced enrichment and reprocessing when it signed a similar agreement with the US in 2009. Trump added the recognition condition the day after the signing; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt subsequently clarified that without normalization with Israel, "the deal will not go through." Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stated it will not recognize Israel without progress toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
