Trump sends Saudi nuclear deal to Congress, keeps Israel normalisation as condition

File photo: US President Donald Trump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Picture credit: Reuters) US President Donald Trump’s administration has submitted a proposed civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, while maintaining that the pact will only move forward if Riyadh agrees to normalise relations with Israel.The agreement was sent to Congress on Monday under the requirements of the US Atomic Energy Act, according to an administration official cited by Reuters.The Wall Street Journal first reported the formal submission.The agreement was signed last month in Washington by US energy secretary Chris Wright and Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. It would allow US companies to play a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear programme.A US administration official told Reuters that Trump’s position had not changed and that the agreement would only take effect if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered framework for normalising relations between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority countries.Trump had linked the nuclear deal to normalisation shortly after the agreement was reached. On July 2...