President Donald Trump has transmitted the US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement to Congress for review, stipulating the pact will only advance if Saudi Arabia recognizes Israel, according to a Wednesday morning report by The Zioneer Intelligence Desk, following earlier confirmation by a US official to Reuters.
President Donald Trump submitted the US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement to Congress early Wednesday morning, making clear the pact's advancement is strictly conditional on Saudi recognition of Israel, according to a Wednesday morning summary by The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. The submission, reported by The Zioneer at 01:13 Jerusalem, was confirmed shortly after by a US official to Reuters, who stated Trump maintains the deal will proceed only if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords and recognizes Israel. The conditionality is now explicitly framed as absolute, with no indication of partial normalization arrangements.
The Zioneer first reported the submission and its Israel-linked condition at 01:13 Jerusalem on Wednesday, citing administration sources. That initial report was subsequently corroborated by a US official speaking to Reuters. The development marks a shift from the administration's earlier position: as The Zioneer reported on July 22, the civilian nuclear pact initially contained no mention of normalization with Israel. The current terms thus represent a hardening of the US stance, tying the nuclear cooperation directly to Saudi recognition of the Jewish state.
The submission is a formal step in the Trump administration's push to expand the Abraham Accords framework. As The Zioneer has reported in recent months, the administration has pursued regional normalization alongside nuclear deals, including with Iran. The Saudi civilian nuclear pact, if advanced, would facilitate US cooperation on nuclear energy with Riyadh, subject to congressional review under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act.
Several questions remain open. The timeline for congressional review has not been disclosed. Saudi Arabia's official response to the condition — whether Riyadh is prepared to recognize Israel for the first time — is unconfirmed. The technical details of the pact, including enrichment and reprocessing rights and safeguards, have not been published. The Zioneer continues to monitor the story.
4 developments
- DevelopingOvernight: Trump submits US-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement to Congress
- DevelopingUS-Saudi nuclear deal makes no mention of normalization with Israel, Reuters reports
- StrongTrump: Saudi Arabia must join Abraham Accords for civilian nuclear deal
- DevelopingTrump says Saudi Arabia will normalize ties with Israel 'at some point'
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