JULY 22, 2026
Trump approves 30-year nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could allow uranium enrichment
President Trump has approved a nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could allow the kingdom to enrich uranium for civilian nuclear reactors, according to multiple U.S. officials cited by AP, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal. The deal is expected to last 30 years, would involve American companies in developing the Saudi program, and was set to be publicly announced as early as Wednesday. The Trump administration intends to submit the agreement to Congress for review.
The agreement, known as a "123 agreement," would allow Saudi Arabia to potentially build a uranium enrichment facility following a joint U.S.-Saudi study, according to AP. American firms are expected to provide technology and expertise. The deal does not include the IAEA's Additional Protocol — which allows for more extensive monitoring, inspections, and verification — according to one person familiar with the matter cited by AP, a detail that CNN also reported, noting the limits on inspections may draw skepticism from lawmakers.
The deal was reached while the United States is conducting ongoing military strikes against Iran, in part aimed at degrading Tehran's own nuclear capabilities. Iran, Saudi Arabia's principal regional rival, holds a stockpile of enriched uranium and has insisted its program is for civilian purposes. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said the kingdom would pursue its own nuclear weapons if Iran acquired one, according to AP and CNN. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also recently signed a mutual defense pact, with Pakistan's defense minister stating his country's nuclear program "will be made available" to Saudi Arabia if needed, AP reported.
Israeli opposition politicians responded sharply. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman wrote that a civilian Saudi nuclear program "will end with nuclear weapons and lead to a wild arms race across the entire Middle East," CNN reported. Former Israeli Gen. Yair Golan said the agreement creates a "dangerous reality" for Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not publicly commented, according to CNN. A senior fellow at the INSS told CNN that under the Biden administration, nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia had been tied to normalization with Israel, a linkage now severed.