Now Reading: Trump sends Saudi nuclear pact to Congress, ties deal to Israel normalisation
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Trump sends Saudi nuclear pact to Congress, ties deal to Israel normalisation
Trump sends Saudi nuclear pact to Congress, ties deal to Israel normalisation
US President Donald Trump has submitted a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for classified review, according to administration officials. The deal, signed last month in Washington by US…
US President Donald Trump has submitted a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for classified review, according to administration officials. The deal, signed last month in Washington by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart, aims to bolster the kingdom's civilian nuclear program over 30 years with US firms involved.
Trump has insisted the pact will not move forward unless Saudi Arabia normalises relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. Saudi officials were surprised by this condition and have said normalisation requires a clear path to Palestinian statehood, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected.
Under the Atomic Energy Act, Congress has 90 session days to review the agreement, which can take effect unless lawmakers pass a joint resolution rejecting it. Previous civil nuclear pacts have been made public, but the entire contents of this document are classified at a high level. Critics worry it could allow Saudi enrichment of uranium, sparking regional proliferation. The Saudi Embassy declined to comment.
Indian Opinion Analysis
A US civilian nuclear cooperation pact, called a 123 agreement, allows the partner country to pursue atomic energy without developing weapons. Saudi Arabia has long sought the right to enrich its own uranium, a capability the US has denied others to prevent proliferation risk. Congress's 90-day review period will test whether lawmakers accept that risk or demand conditions. The Trump insistence on tying the deal to Saudi normalisation with Israel, via the Abraham Accords framework approved in 2020, adds an unprecedented geopolitical condition. Saudi Arabia has publicly linked normalisation to Palestinian statehood, which Israel's current government rejects. The outcome will set a precedent for whether US civil nuclear deals can be leveraged to reshape Middle East diplomacy. Congress's review period runs during session days, stretching likely into late 2026.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
