Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: Donald Trump sends Saudi civil nuclear deal to Congress, keeps Israel normalisation as condition

File photo: US President Donald Trump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Picture credit: Reuters)

US President Donald Trump’s administration has submitted a proposed civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, while maintaining that the pact will only move forward if Riyadh agrees to normalise relations with Israel.The agreement was sent to Congress on Monday under the requirements of the US Atomic Energy Act, according to an administration official cited by Reuters.The Wall Street Journal first reported the formal submission.The agreement was signed last month in Washington by US energy secretary Chris Wright and Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. It would allow US companies to play a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear programme.A US administration official told Reuters that Trump’s position had not changed and that the agreement would only take effect if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered framework for normalising relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority countries.Trump had linked the nuclear deal to normalisation shortly after the agreement was reached. On July 23, he said the civil nuclear deal would be approved but was “totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords”.

Congress gets 90 days to review nuclear pact

Under US law, Congress has 90 days while in session to review the agreement. Unless lawmakers pass a joint resolution rejecting it during that period, the pact can take effect without a separate vote by either chamber.According to AP, the submission was made to Capitol Hill on Monday.The proposed pact is expected to last 30 years. It would facilitate the development of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure using US technology, including AP1000 reactors.The project could involve US firms in the construction and development of the programme following a joint US-Saudi study.The agreement has also drawn scrutiny over nuclear non-proliferation. Some Democratic lawmakers and non-proliferation advocates have criticised the pact because it does not bar Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing nuclear waste, which can provide potential pathways towards producing nuclear weapons.The United Arab Emirates accepted restrictions on enrichment and reprocessing, known as the “gold standard”, in its 2009 civil nuclear agreement with the US.The Trump administration has said the Saudi agreement contains the non-proliferation measures required under US law.

Saudi-Israel normalisation remains key hurdle

Trump’s condition could complicate the agreement’s path forward because Saudi Arabia has maintained that it would only establish diplomatic relations with Israel if there is a clear and irreversible path towards Palestinian statehood.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Palestinian statehood, saying it would be untenable for Israel’s security.The Abraham Accords, reached in 2020 and 2021, established diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Saudi Arabia has so far not joined the framework.Trump’s administration has nevertheless continued to pursue an expansion of the accords, while Riyadh has maintained its position on Palestinian statehood.The proposed nuclear agreement has also faced criticism in the US over its potential implications for nuclear proliferation in West Asia.Henry Sokolski, head of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Centre, told Reuters that beginning the congressional review could allow the deal to proceed without some of the restrictions sought by its critics.