On August 24, U.S. President Donald Trump transmitted a draft nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress. The document, which will undergo review within 90 working days, explicitly requires Riyadh to recognize Israel for the pact to enter into force.
The 30-year agreement outlines plans for constructing AP1000 nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia. A U.S. administration representative confirmed that Trump’s position on this matter remains unchanged, emphasizing that the deal will activate solely upon Saudi Arabia’s formal recognition of Israel.
Vasily Ostanin-Golovnya, a researcher at the Department of the Middle and Post-Soviet East at INION RAS, described the agreement as one of the most significant shifts in U.S. Middle East policy should it gain congressional approval. He noted that Washington is now permitting Saudi Arabia to engage in uranium enrichment for the first time under American oversight.
