Trump approves Saudi nuclear deal, dropping Israel normalization requirement

President Trump has approved a landmark 30-year nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, granting the kingdom access to US nuclear technology without requiring it to first normalize relations with Israel. The deal, signed on July 22-23, represents a sharp departure from the Biden administration’s approach, which had explicitly tied nuclear access to Saudi-Israeli diplomatic progress. What the deal actually includes The agreement, known formally as a “123 agreement” under US atomic energy law, allows for the potential construction of a US-built uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia. The enrichment facility is contingent on a two-year joint study between the US and Saudi Arabia. If the US raises objections at any point during or after that study, Saudi Arabia would be prohibited from pursuing enrichment activities, either independently or with any other nation, for a full decade. The reactor technology itself will come from Westinghouse, which will supply its AP1000 reactors to build out Saudi nuclear infrastructure. This part of the deal serves a dual strategic purpose: it gives a major US company a multi-billion-dollar contract while simultaneously blocking Russia and...