Trump Sends Saudi Nuclear Deal to Congress, Ties It to Accords
The administration formally transmitted the U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear agreement for review, but says it will proceed only if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords.
The Trump administration formally transmitted its proposed nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress on Monday, an administration official told ABC News, even as the deal remains contingent on the Kingdom joining the Abraham Accords.
Two other sources familiar with the matter confirmed the transmission.
The agreement, struck under Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, was finalized on July 22 and signed by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, according to the Energy Department. With the text now sent to lawmakers, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee have 90 days of continuous session to review it, though that clock can be paused, as has happened with past agreements.
The day after the deal was finalized, President Donald Trump added a new condition, announcing that it would move forward only if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords — a stipulation that was not part of the original agreement. Joining the Accords would require Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, something the Kingdom has resisted without progress toward Palestinian statehood.
On Tuesday, the administration official reiterated that Trump's position has not changed, saying the nuclear deal "will only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords."
It was not immediately clear why the administration chose to send the deal to Congress now, more than a month after it was finalized, especially since Saudi Arabia has given no public indication it intends to join the Accords.
The agreement would let the United States partner with Saudi Arabia on developing its civil nuclear energy program. U.S. officials have previously told ABC News that the deal leaves open the possibility of Saudi Arabia enriching uranium domestically in the future, a prospect that could raise nuclear proliferation concerns. Trump, however, has insisted that no uranium enrichment will occur under the deal, writing on social media last month, "There will be no enrichment of material!"
The transmission of the agreement to Congress was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
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