President Donald Trump has submitted to Congress for review a classified agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia, according to an administration official. The document was sent to Capitol Hill on Monday as required by the Atomic Energy Act.
The pact is intended to bolster Saudi Arabia's nuclear program but remains contingent on the kingdom normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, according to the official. Trump announced this requirement shortly after the agreement was signed last month by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart.
Under law, Congress has 90 days while in session to review the agreement. Unless lawmakers pass a joint resolution rejecting it during the review period, the agreement can take effect without a vote by either chamber.
The full classification of the agreement is unusual. Previous civilian nuclear cooperation pacts with other countries, known as 123 agreements, have been made public, although some contained classified annexes. The deal, if approved, is expected to last 30 years and involve US firms in developing the program following a joint US-Saudi study.
Saudi Arabia has said that normalizing relations with Israel would first require establishing a clear path for Palestinian statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Palestinian statehood as untenable for his country's security.
