Trump Administration Submits Saudi Nuclear Deal to Congress, Maintaining Israel Normalization Condition

The Trump administration has formally submitted a proposed 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, according to multiple U.S. officials and contemporaneous reporting. The deal, signed in July 2026, would enable U.S. companies including Westinghouse to export nuclear technology and potentially support construction of AP1000 reactors in the kingdom, with a pathway for future uranium enrichment on Saudi soil following a joint feasibility study. Administration officials have reiterated that the agreement will only advance if Saudi Arabia normalizes relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords, a condition President Trump has linked to the pact since its announcement. Congress has 90 session days to consider the agreement under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act; absent a joint resolution of disapproval, it would take effect. Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times reported the submission on or around August 25-26, 2026, noting expected scrutiny over proliferation risks and the absence of enhanced IAEA safeguards such as the Additional Protocol. Saudi Arabia has historically conditioned normalization on an irreversible path to Palestinian statehood, a stance unchanged amid the ongoing regional conflicts. The development revives debates from the deal's initial rollout, when Trump emphasized non-enrichment and the Abraham Accords linkage after earlier concerns from Israeli officials and lawmakers.