Trump's Saudi nuclear deal reaches Congress as experts warn of proliferation risk

On August 25, 2026, President Donald Trump submitted a classified 30-year nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for a 90-day review. The agreement would grant U.S. companies a leading role in building Saudi Arabia's nuclear infrastructure. However, Trump insisted that the pact would not move forward unless Saudi Arabia normalized relations with Israel, as part of the Abraham Accords.

This requirement raised doubts about the agreement's successful implementation, as normalizing relations with Israel is a contentious issue in Israeli politics, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the establishment of Palestinian statehood. The agreement, signed last month, was submitted to Congress as required by the Atomic Energy Act.

Should Congress not pass a joint resolution rejecting the agreement during the review period, it could take effect without a vote from either chamber. The high level of classification for the entire contents of such agreements is unusual, as previous civil nuclear pacts have been made public, albeit with some classified annexes.