Trump Recasts Multibillion Saudi Nuclear Deal, Demanding Israel Recognition
Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · Jul 25
Trump Recasts Multibillion Saudi Nuclear Deal, Demanding Israel Recognition
3 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · Jul 25
Summary
A day after U.S. and Saudi officials signed a multibillion civilian nuclear pact, Trump said it barred uranium enrichment and was "totally subject" to Saudi recognition of Israel.
That post contradicted reports that the agreement had dropped the Israel-normalization requirement and left room for enrichment, jolting Riyadh and muddying what terms Washington had actually accepted.
Congress can still block the deal only with veto-proof majorities in both chambers, leaving its fate tied largely to whether Trump stands by his own after-the-fact conditions.
The reversal matters beyond the pact: Saudi Arabia has sought U.S. nuclear cooperation for nearly 20 years and could revisit Russian, Chinese or even Pakistani options if Washington again proves unreliable.
In November 2025, the Trump administration finalized a 30-year nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, now under immediate Congressional review. The deal has sparked intense debate because Saudi Arabia does not follow the highest nonproliferation standards, specifically the IAEA Additional Protocol, which is meant to help inspectors detect secret nuclear activities. A key concern is that the agreement reportedly allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, raising alarms among nonproliferation advocates and lawmakers about the risk of nuclear weapons development. Congress is now closely examining the deal’s provisions and the administration’s justification for moving forward.