The 30-year US-Saudi civil nuclear agreement has entered congressional review, but President Donald Trump says it will move forward only if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords and normalises relations with Israel.
US President Donald Trump has sent a proposed civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, formally beginning the review process for a major pact that could reshape Washington-Riyadh strategic ties.
The agreement, signed in July by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, would provide a legal framework for expanded US participation in Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear energy programme. The US Department of Energy described it as a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership.
However, the agreement faces a significant political condition. The Trump administration has maintained that the nuclear pact will only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords and normalises relations with Israel.
Deal Sent To Congress
The agreement was transmitted to Congress on Monday under the US Atomic Energy Act.
Congress has 90 days while in session to review the pact. Unless lawmakers pass a joint resolution rejecting it during that period, the agreement can take effect without requiring a separate affirmative vote in both chambers.
The proposed agreement is known as a Section 123 civil nuclear cooperation agreement, a framework used by the United States for civilian nuclear cooperation with foreign countries.
The US Energy Department said the agreement is intended to expand American nuclear technology exports, support US industry and strengthen nuclear safety and non-proliferation standards.
Israel Recognition Condition
Trump's decision to link the nuclear agreement to Saudi-Israeli normalisation has complicated the pact's future.
A US administration official told Reuters that the president's position had not changed and that the agreement would move forward only if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, the US-backed framework that established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
The condition was announced by Trump after the nuclear agreement was signed in July. It was not included in the initial public announcement of the nuclear cooperation agreement, creating uncertainty about how the political condition relates to the formal pact now before Congress.
Saudi Arabia's Position
Saudi Arabia has not agreed to recognise Israel.
Riyadh has maintained that any normalisation agreement would require a credible and irreversible pathway towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
That position has become a major obstacle to the broader US effort to secure Saudi-Israeli normalisation. Saudi Arabia had appeared closer to a potential agreement in 2023, but the Gaza war fundamentally changed the diplomatic environment.
The nuclear agreement therefore sits at the intersection of US energy policy, Middle East diplomacy and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
30-Year Nuclear Partnership
If implemented, the agreement is expected to remain in force for 30 years.
The pact would allow US companies to participate in developing Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear programme. The US-Saudi agreement could involve the construction of advanced nuclear reactors, with the wider project potentially worth tens of billions of dollars.
The US Energy Department said the agreement provides American companies with greater access to the Saudi nuclear market while supporting Saudi efforts to diversify its energy sources.
Enrichment Concerns Rise
The agreement has also attracted scrutiny over nuclear non-proliferation.
Critics in Washington have raised concerns about whether the arrangement could eventually allow Saudi Arabia to develop domestic uranium-enrichment capabilities. Enrichment can have legitimate civilian applications but can also provide a potential pathway towards weapons-grade material.
Trump has previously said there would be no uranium enrichment under the arrangement. However, the full agreement remains classified, making it difficult for lawmakers and outside experts to assess every provision.
The issue is particularly sensitive because Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously indicated that Riyadh would consider developing nuclear weapons if Iran acquired one.
US-Saudi Strategic Ties
The nuclear agreement forms part of a broader effort by Washington and Riyadh to deepen their strategic and economic relationship.
For the United States, the agreement provides American nuclear companies with access to a major potential market and strengthens bilateral ties with one of the Middle East's most influential powers.
For Saudi Arabia, civilian nuclear energy could help diversify electricity generation and reduce dependence on hydrocarbons for domestic energy needs, potentially allowing more oil to be directed towards exports.
The agreement also carries wider geopolitical significance because of Saudi Arabia's position in the Gulf and its influence across the Arab world.
Congressional Review Begins
The formal submission now puts Congress at the centre of the next stage.
Lawmakers are expected to examine the agreement's nuclear safeguards, commercial implications and potential effect on regional non-proliferation. The Trump administration will also have to manage the diplomatic challenge created by linking implementation to Saudi-Israeli normalisation.
The full text being classified adds another layer of uncertainty. Previous US civil nuclear agreements have generally been made public, although some have included classified annexes.
What Happens Next
The immediate focus will be on the 90-day congressional review and whether lawmakers raise objections to the agreement.
At the same time, Washington will have to determine whether its demand for Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords can be reconciled with Riyadh's insistence on a pathway towards Palestinian statehood.
For now, the nuclear pact has moved into the formal US congressional process, but its implementation remains politically complicated.
The agreement could strengthen US-Saudi energy and defence ties and open a major market for American nuclear companies. However, Saudi-Israeli normalisation and nuclear non-proliferation concerns remain the two biggest questions surrounding its future.
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