{"success":true,"data":{"id":"e25e9bf8-e8a9-4d19-89ae-937a988c5f00","title":"Trump administration signs commercial nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia","summary":"The agreement gives American companies priority access to nuclear reactors and fuel to Saudi Arabia. It's expected to last decades and be worth billions of dollars.","content":"Accessibility links\n\n****Play Live Radio****\n\n*   **Hourly News**\n*   **Listen Live**\n*   **My Playlist**\n\n*   Open Navigation Menu\n\n*   [Sign In](https://www.npr.org/2026/07/22/nx-s1-5903293/trump-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal#)Personalize Your Experience \n\n Close Navigation Menu\n*   [News](https://www.npr.org/sections/news/)Expand/collapse submenu for News \n\n*   [Culture](https://www.npr.org/sections/culture/)Expand/collapse submenu for Culture \n\n*   [Music](https://www.npr.org/music/)Expand/collapse submenu for Music \n\n*   [Podcasts & Shows](https://www.npr.org/podcasts-and-shows/)Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows \n\nDaily\n\nFeatured\n\n**Trump administration signs nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia****The agreement gives American companies priority access to nuclear reactors and fuel to Saudi Arabia. It's expected to last decades and be worth billions of dollars.**\n\n# Trump administration signs commercial nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia\n\n,\n\nEnergy Secretary Chris Wright at an Oval Office meeting earlier this month. **Andrew Harnik/Getty Images******hide caption****\n\n****toggle caption****\n\n Andrew Harnik/Getty Images \n\nThe Trump administration has signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that would allow American companies to run commercial nuclear power plants on Saudi soil.\n\nThe agreement was signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the [Department of Energy announced](https://x.com/ENERGY/status/2080029618023944601?s=20) on Wednesday. They also signed an accompanying agreement about safeguards. The deal must be reviewed by Congress, which has [90 days](https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/RS/HTML/RS22937.html) to consider it.\n\nThe cooperation agreement gives American companies priority access to the Saudi nuclear energy program, meaning they can supply nuclear reactors and fuel, according to an administration memo about the agreement seen by NPR. It's expected to last decades and be worth billions of dollars, the Energy Department said.\n\nSponsor Message\n\n\"These agreements reflect our two nations' shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad,\" Wright said in the announcement. \"Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States.\"\n\nHowever, the memo seen by NPR said the agreement does not include provisions known as the [\"gold standard\"](https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/us-atomic-energy-act-section-123-glance) that would prohibit the kingdom from enriching uranium and reprocessing nuclear fuel, nor does it require Saudi Arabia to adopt terms that would lead to greater oversight from the International Atomic Energy Agency.\n\nThe lack of those restrictions will raise concerns over providing the kingdom a pathway to weapons development. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that if Iran were to develop a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would follow suit.\n\n\"Congress should approve only if the deal has the same gold-standard safeguards as our deal with the UAE,\" Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Ca., [posted on X](https://x.com/BradSherman/status/2079742617466605951?s=20) on Tuesday evening, before the agreement was announced. \"A President waging war to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East should not facilitate proliferation just because U.S. companies stand to make a profit.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nThe memo says the U.S. does not support a Saudi nuclear weapons program, and that the agreement is limited to peaceful cooperation on nuclear energy.\n\nThe memo notes that the agreement includes nonproliferation terms under the Atomic Energy Act. It also says that while the agreement provides a legal pathway for cooperation on the nuclear fuel cycle, it does not obligate the U.S. to transfer any fuel cycle capabilities or technologies to Saudi Arabia.\n\n\"I think it may make negotiating a reasonable deal with Iran more difficult,\" said Matthew Bunn, a nuclear proliferation expert at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in an interview with NPR's All Things Considered.\n\nBunn said that Iran was less likely to sign an agreement involving intrusive inspections of its nuclear program if Saudi Arabia was also not committing to such agreements.\n\n*   **Facebook**\n*   **Flipboard**\n*   **Email**\n\n### More Stories From NPR\n\nSponsor Message\n\n### Popular on NPR.org\n\n### NPR Editors' Picks\n\n###### Read & Listen\n\n###### Connect","source_name":"NPR","source_url":"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/22/nx-s1-5903293/trump-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal","url":"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/22/nx-s1-5903293/trump-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal","author":"Shannon Bond","author_name":"Shannon Bond","published_at":"2026-07-22T21:17:24.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-22T21:17:24.000Z","image_url":"https://www.npr.org/2026/07/22/nx-s1-5903293/trump-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":4,"word_count":611,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}