Saudi nuclear deal sent to US Congress with Israel recognition condition

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has sent a proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, making clear that Riyadh’s recognition of Israel remains a key condition for the deal to move forward.

According to Reuters, the agreement was submitted to Congress on August 24 after being finalized in July. The 30-year pact would allow US companies to provide Saudi Arabia with civilian nuclear technology, including AP1000 reactors.

A US administration official said Trump’s position had not changed and that the agreement would proceed only if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, under which Israel established diplomatic relations with several Arab countries.

Congress will have 90 session days to review the agreement. If lawmakers do not pass a resolution blocking the pact during that period, the agreement can take effect. Any congressional rejection could be vetoed by the president, requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override the veto.

Saudi Arabia has maintained that it will not recognize Israel without an irreversible pathway toward the establishment of a Palestinian state. Riyadh has repeatedly emphasized this position since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

The proposed nuclear agreement has also faced criticism from some Democratic lawmakers and nuclear nonproliferation experts, who argue that it does not include the same stringent restrictions on uranium enrichment and nuclear-waste reprocessing as the US nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates.

The Trump administration, however, says the Saudi agreement contains the nonproliferation safeguards required under US law.