The United States has submitted a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress, but the deal's implementation has been tied to Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords, which aim to normalize relations with Israel.

The U.S. Department of Energy previously announced the signing of an agreement to support Saudi Arabia’s peaceful nuclear energy program. The cooperation, planned to extend over several decades, is expected to provide American companies with opportunities to participate in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy projects.

The condition linking the nuclear agreement to normalization with Israel was described as an unexpected development by U.S. negotiators and Saudi officials.

The agreement reportedly does not include uranium enrichment activities, a key issue in negotiations over Saudi Arabia’s nuclear ambitions.

The agreement must undergo review by the U.S. Congress before it can move forward.(ILKHA)