Trump Sends Saudi Nuclear Deal to Congress but Says Riyadh Must Recognize Israel

President Donald Trump has forwarded a proposed nuclear deal to Congress from Saudi Arabia, emphasizing a prerequisite for Saudi Arabia's acknowledgement of Israel. This agreement, finalized in July, would permit US firms to export civilian nuclear technology to the kingdom. The Saudi embassy in Washington did not promptly reply to a request for comment.

The timeline for Congress to review the nuclear deal is 90 legislative days. Trump's stance on the nuclear agreement remains unchanged, stipulating that it will proceed only if Saudi Arabia embraces the Abraham Accords - US-mediated pacts normalizing relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority nations. The Abraham Accords include Israel's agreements with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

After agreeing to the nuclear deal in July, Trump stipulated that normalizing relations with Israel is a condition for its implementation. Although former President Joe Biden also advocated for a nuclear deal, the prospect of normalization with Israel appeared uncertain until the onset of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023. A critical element of the 30-year nuclear deal is the construction of AP1000 reactors, a project estimated to cost billions of dollars and potentially beneficial to Westinghouse, a joint venture of Canada's Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.