The Trump administration submitted a classified civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress during the week of publication, as mandated by the Atomic Energy Act. The submission occurred on Monday, following the agreement’s signing in Washington last month between U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart.
President Trump announced a significant condition for the agreement’s advancement the day after its signing: Saudi Arabia must normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords framework, which was established in 2020 to expand diplomatic ties between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority nations. This condition has created uncertainty regarding whether the agreement will ultimately proceed to implementation.
Under statutory requirements, Congress has 90 days while in session to review the agreement. Should Congress choose not to pass a joint resolution of rejection during this period, the agreement can take effect without requiring a vote from either chamber. The classified nature of the entire agreement is notable, as previous civil nuclear pacts with other countries have typically been made public, though some contained classified annexes withheld from release.
The condition attached to the agreement has generated concern among some lawmakers, who worry it could facilitate Saudi uranium enrichment and potentially trigger additional nuclear proliferation. Saudi officials have indicated that normalization with Israel would require a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood, a position that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected as incompatible with his country’s security interests. The Saudis reportedly were surprised by Trump’s announcement linking the nuclear deal to Israeli relations.
The agreement, if approved, is anticipated to span 30 years and involve U.S. firms in developing Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program following a joint bilateral study.
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