The White House sent the proposed civilian nuclear agreement to Capitol Hill this week, according to officials familiar with the process. The deal would permit Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, a capability that has long drawn bipartisan concern over nuclear proliferation risks in the volatile Middle East.
However, President Trump has attached a retroactive condition that the agreement is contingent on Saudi Arabia formally joining the Abraham Accords — the U.S.-brokered normalization deals between Israel and several Arab nations that began during his first term. The condition effectively ties progress on the nuclear front to a breakthrough in Israeli-Saudi relations, a step Riyadh has so far resisted without progress toward a Palestinian state.
The nuclear deal itself has stirred significant opposition. Democrats in Congress have voiced alarm over allowing Saudi Arabia, a country with a history of human rights abuses and regional ambitions, to enrich uranium — which could potentially be diverted to a weapons program. “This is a dangerous giveaway that could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East,” said Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.). Republican critics have also raised concerns, though some have expressed conditional support if the deal strengthens Israel’s security.
Supporters argue that the condition linking the deal to normalization provides a powerful incentive for Saudi Arabia to make peace with Israel, advancing U.S. strategic interests. “This is a smart diplomatic lever,” said a senior administration official speaking on condition of anonymity. “It ensures that any nuclear cooperation comes with real, concrete steps toward regional stability.”
The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, were a signature foreign policy achievement of the Trump administration. Saudi Arabia has remained on the sidelines, citing the need for a viable Palestinian state as a prerequisite. The new condition may force Riyadh to either accept normalization on U.S. terms or abandon the prospect of U.S.-assisted nuclear energy.
The congressional review period, which runs 90 days unless extended, allows lawmakers to approve, reject, or amend the agreement. If Congress does not act, the deal can proceed automatically, though the new condition appears to give the White House flexibility to halt implementation regardless.
Neither the Saudi embassy nor the Israeli government has officially responded to the condition. The development comes as the Biden administration — should Trump lose the upcoming election — would face a different calculus on both nuclear cooperation and Middle East diplomacy.