U.S. nuclear power deal with Saudi Arabia faces criticism in Israel

With a photograph of himself on the wall as part of "The Presidential Hall of Fame," U.S. President Donald Trump (R) gives Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia a tour of the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images TEL AVIV — An agreement for U.S. companies to build and run nuclear energy plants in Saudi Arabia was met with alarm in Israel on Thursday, as the U.S. and Iran continued to trade strikes in the latest escalation engulfing the Persian Gulf. The nuclear cooperation agreement, signed on Wednesday by the Trump administration with Saudi Arabia, gives American companies priority access to supply nuclear reactors and fuel to the Saudi nuclear energy program, according to an administration memo about the agreement seen by NPR. The agreement must be reviewed by Congress, which has 90 days to consider it. Saudi Arabia is one of the world's largest oil producers, but the Gulf state has been trying to pivot to other energy sources. Its nuclear energy program is expected to last decades and be worth billions of dollars, according to the Department of Ener...