President Donald Trump has approved a landmark civilian nuclear deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia, set to be announced on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, a senior administration official told NBC News. The agreement will involve U.S. support for the creation of a civilian nuclear power program in Saudi Arabia, with American companies building the program inside the kingdom.

News of the deal was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. While Congress must vote on the agreement, it would require a veto-proof majority to block it.

The deal raises concerns about nuclear proliferation, as it could pave the way for Saudi Arabia to pursue its own uranium enrichment. Addressing these concerns ahead of the announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. would not "reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation."

This agreement comes amid the ongoing war against Iran, launched by the U.S. and Israel. President Trump has maintained that Tehran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, despite Iran's consistent denials of such intentions.

Previously, a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia was a U.S. condition for allowing the kingdom to enrich uranium. However, Saudi leaders insisted that normalization would not be possible without meaningful progress toward a Palestinian state.

Sources