President Trump Issues Statement On “Civil Nuclear Deal” With Saudi Arabia

President Trump approves a landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, giving American companies a major role in developing nuclear infrastructure overseas.

In a Truth social post this morning, Trump explained the U.S. will help Saudi Arabia develop civilian nuclear energy, but… pic.twitter.com/9a80v7eBV3

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 23, 2026

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The deal is expected to last 30 years and is also expected to involve U.S. firms in developing the program. The deal could allow for the building of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia following a joint U.S.-Saudi study.

But the deal, which is expected to be submitted to Congress for review, could face headwinds among lawmakers who fear that helping the Saudis fulfill their long-standing desire to enrich their own uranium would open new rounds of nuclear proliferation and competition.

Saudi Arabia is a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a Vienna-based agency which promotes peaceful nuclear work but also inspects nations to ensure they don’t have clandestine atomic weapons programs.

But the agreement is not expected to include the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which would allow for more monitoring, inspections and verification, according to one of the people.

The expected announcement comes in the midst of the war against Iran launched by the U.S. and Israel, in part, to wipe out Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has insisted its nuclear enrichment program is peaceful.

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Today, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia announced a historic, peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement.

Thanks to President Trump, this partnership will strengthen prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad. pic.twitter.com/lUN3cFm5Et

— U.S. Department of Energy (@ENERGY) July 22, 2026

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The Prime Minister’s Office:

The joint American and Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Teheran and Israel's crushing of Iran's terror axis have created the possibility to expand the circle of peace.

As President @realDonaldTrump has said, Saudi Arabia's…

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 23, 2026

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An agreement for U.S. companies to build and run nuclear energy plants in Saudi Arabia was met with alarm in Israel on Thursday, as the U.S. and Iran continued to trade strikes in the latest escalation engulfing the Persian Gulf.

The nuclear cooperation agreement, signed on Wednesday by the Trump administration with Saudi Arabia, gives American companies priority access to supply nuclear reactors and fuel to the Saudi nuclear energy program, according to an administration memo about the agreement seen by NPR. The agreement must be reviewed by Congress, which has 90 days to consider it.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil producers, but the Gulf state has been trying to pivot to other energy sources. Its nuclear energy program is expected to last decades and be worth billions of dollars, according to the Department of Energy.

Nuclear power would allow Saudi Arabia to use less petroleum energy domestically and maximize exports as well, Matthew Bunn, a nuclear proliferation expert at Harvard University, told NPR’s All Things Considered.

“But they also want to provide the foundation, over time, for having more options to move toward nuclear weapons, should they feel the need,” Bunn said.

While Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has said the kingdom does not want a nuclear weapon, he also has said Riyadh will pursue one if Iran develops a nuclear weapon first.

Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, said what he found alarming was that the agreement appeared to let Saudi Arabia enrich its own nuclear fuel in-country.

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