Trump undercuts his own Saudi-Israel nuclear deal
An analysis reveals how President Trump's contradictory actions and failure to secure congressional approval under the Atomic Energy Act risk undermining the trilateral nuclear cooperation deal he sought to broker among the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
The Vox analysis underscores a pattern of executive incoherence that the Project 2025 agenda exploits: Trump floats a massive nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia and Israel without securing nonproliferation safeguards (including a legally binding renunciation of enrichment and reprocessing) or the § 123 congressional review required by the Atomic Energy Act, while simultaneously alienating the lawmakers needed to pass it. This is not merely diplomatic misstep—it's a concrete federal action (the deal's negotiation) that exposes a gap between administration rhetoric and execution. If approved without robust congressional conditions, the deal would transfer sensitive nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, a country with a poor human rights record and no binding commitment to forego enrichment. It would weaken the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and set a precedent for further proliferation. The progressive alternative is to mandate full § 123 congressional review, require Saudi Arabia to sign the Additional Protocol, and condition any cooperation on verifiable, legally binding non-enrichment pledges.
The humanitarian alternative
Congress should immediately exercise its authority under the Atomic Energy Act to require that any nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia be submitted as a treaty requiring two-thirds Senate approval, rather than as a simple executive agreement. Further, the deal should mandate that Saudi Arabia sign the Additional Protocol with the IAEA, forswear enrichment and reprocessing, and establish rigorous safeguards on all transferred materials. This approach preserves the legitimate goal of countering Iranian influence through regional integration while closing the proliferation loophole that Trump's haphazard process has opened.
Falsifiable predictions
What this entry claims will happen, and what data would prove it wrong. The Reckoner revisits these against current reality.
- Within 90 days, bipartisan senators will introduce a bill requiring Senate approval for any nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia or similar non-NATO partner.
- The deal will not be finalized in its current form within six months due to lack of congressional support and Saudi nonproliferation objections.
Original source — excerpted
news Did Trump just kill his own nuclear deal?"is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers ideology and challenges to democracy, both at home and abroad. His book on democracy,, was published 0n July 1..."