**Trump Submits Saudi Nuclear Agreement to Congress Amid Calls for Israel Normalization**
US President Donald Trump has reportedly sent a significant nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, alongside renewed demands for Riyadh to normalize relations with Israel as part of the deal. According to various US media outlets, which cited unnamed sources from the administration and Congress, the document was submitted on Monday. However, the White House has not yet publicly confirmed this development.
The agreement, initially signed last month, is designed to facilitate the involvement of American companies in the development of Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear energy program. This 30-year pact is expected to include the construction of US-designed nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia, with an estimated value in the tens of billions of dollars. The Saudi government has expressed that its pursuit of nuclear power is driven by the need to meet increasing domestic energy demands, reduce domestic oil consumption, and enhance crude oil exports.
Despite the potential benefits, the agreement has raised significant concerns regarding nuclear proliferation. Unlike a similar nuclear deal established between the US and the United Arab Emirates, this agreement does not impose a permanent ban on Saudi Arabia's ability to reprocess nuclear fuel or enrich uranium. Such capabilities could potentially be leveraged to develop nuclear weapons. Notably, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously indicated that the kingdom might consider pursuing nuclear weapons if Iran were to acquire them.
In addition to the nuclear cooperation terms, President Trump has linked the agreement to Saudi Arabia's formal participation in the Abraham Accords, which would entail establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. This condition was unexpectedly introduced by Trump late last month, after the agreement had already been negotiated and signed. An administration official confirmed that Trump's stance on this issue remains unchanged.
The Abraham Accords, which were brokered during Trump's first term, successfully established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. The US has actively advocated for Saudi-Israeli normalization; however, these efforts have faced challenges, particularly following the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023. Saudi Arabia has consistently maintained that it will not normalize relations with Israel without a clear and irreversible path toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Following the submission of the nuclear agreement to Congress, lawmakers have 90 session days to review the pact. Should they attempt to block it, President Trump is expected to exercise his veto power to ensure its passage. To override a presidential veto, a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress would be required.
As the situation develops, the implications of the nuclear agreement and the intertwined diplomatic negotiations with Israel remain a focal point of interest for both domestic and international observers.