Trump Sends Saudi Civil Nuclear Deal to Congress, Ties It to Israel Normalization

US President Donald Trump has submitted the civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, while conditioning its implementation on Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday night. A US administration official stated, "The president's position has not changed - the agreement will only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords." This condition was introduced by Trump after the agreement was finalized and signed last month by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and is not part of the agreement text itself.

Saudi Arabia has reiterated it will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel without a clear and irreversible path to a Palestinian state. The Saudi Foreign Ministry has previously described the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital as a "firm position not open to negotiation." Riyadh has yet to respond to the agreement's submission to Congress or Trump's insistence on linking it to normalization. The Saudi embassy in Washington and official Saudi news agencies have not issued statements on the matter.

The 30-year agreement provides the legal framework for transferring US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, aiming to give American companies a central role in developing the kingdom's nuclear infrastructure. According to Reuters, it includes building AP1000 reactors in a project potentially worth tens of billions of dollars, benefiting companies like Westinghouse. Saudi Arabia claims it needs a civilian nuclear program to meet local energy demands, utilize its uranium deposits, and increase oil exports.

Besides the normalization issue, the deal raises concerns over uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia. The Wall Street Journal reports that Washington and Riyadh will conduct a two-year study on the commercial viability of establishing an enrichment facility. If deemed necessary, US companies could build the facility with safeguards to prevent sensitive technology transfer. Trump has declared, "There will be no enrichment." Congress will review the agreement over 90 days; if lawmakers do not oppose it, the deal can take effect. Rejecting it requires a joint decision by both houses, and Trump can veto such a move, which would then require a two-thirds majority to override.