Trump sends Saudi nuclear deal to Congress, ties it to Israel

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has submitted a landmark civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to the US Congress for review, but President Donald Trump has maintained that the deal will only move forward if Riyadh agrees to normalize relations with Israel.

The agreement, reached between the United States and Saudi Arabia in July, would allow American companies to provide civilian nuclear technology to the kingdom. It was formally submitted to Congress on Monday under procedures required by US law, according to US officials.

The move puts a potentially major energy partnership into a closely watched congressional review process while adding another layer to Washington’s efforts to reshape relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Trump has said the nuclear agreement is conditional on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, the US-backed framework that established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries. Riyadh has not agreed to normalize relations with Israel and has repeatedly linked such a move to progress toward Palestinian statehood.

The nuclear agreement is intended for peaceful energy purposes and could support Saudi Arabia’s plans to develop nuclear power as part of its broader effort to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil. The pact would also open opportunities for US nuclear companies to participate in the kingdom’s planned nuclear infrastructure.

However, the deal has already attracted scrutiny from lawmakers and nuclear nonproliferation experts. A key concern is whether the agreement would place sufficient restrictions on Saudi Arabia’s ability to enrich uranium or undertake other activities that could potentially be used for weapons development.

Trump previously said the arrangement would not permit uranium enrichment and would be limited to civilian, non-military purposes. However, reports on the agreement have raised questions over the precise safeguards and long-term provisions surrounding Saudi Arabia’s nuclear programme.

Congress now has a review period under US law during which lawmakers can examine the agreement and potentially object to it. The classified nature of the submitted document is expected to add to congressional scrutiny.

For Saudi Arabia, the agreement could mark a major step toward nuclear energy. For Washington, however, the deal has become intertwined with one of the Middle East’s most sensitive diplomatic questions: whether Riyadh will ultimately establish formal relations with Israel.