Trump Sends Classified U.S.-Saudi Civil Nuclear Pact To Congress
On Monday, August 24, 2026, the Trump administration submitted a classified civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, starting a 90-day review that could be ended only by a joint resolution of disapproval.[1]
The pact was signed in Washington last month by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart.[1] It is expected to run 30 years and include U.S. companies.[1] The submission was made under the Atomic Energy Act.[1] The law gives Congress 90 days in session to review the pact and allows lawmakers to block it only by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.[1] The full agreement is classified at an unusually high level compared with past U.S. nuclear cooperation pacts that were generally public with classified annexes.[1]
President Trump has publicly conditioned moving forward with the deal on Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, a linkage not detailed in the classified text.[1] Some U.S. lawmakers have sharply criticized the pact, saying it could enable Saudi uranium enrichment and heighten nuclear proliferation risks in the region.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, August 24, 2026, the Trump administration submitted a classified civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress under the Atomic Energy Act.
- The pact was signed in Washington last month by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart and is expected to last 30 years and involve U.S. firms.
- Under the law, Congress has 90 days in session to review the agreement and can block it only by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.
- The entire agreement is classified at an unusually high level compared with past U.S. nuclear cooperation pacts, which were generally public with classified annexes.
- Trump has publicly conditioned moving forward with the deal on Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, a linkage not detailed publicly in the classified text.
- Some U.S. lawmakers have sharply criticized the pact over fears it could enable Saudi uranium enrichment and heighten nuclear proliferation risks in the region.
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