On July 22, the US and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark nuclear deal that will allow Riyadh to develop a civilian nuclear program. However shortly after announcing the deal, President Trump apparently conditioned it on Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel. What is the substance of this agreement, why is it raising concerns, and will it lead to another signatory to the Abraham Accords?
This on-the-record virtual briefing featured former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney, who is also a member of MEI’s Board of Governors, and Professor F. Gregory Gause III, Associate Fellow at MEI and author of three books about the Persian Gulf. Our experts discussed what this agreement means for both the US and Saudi Arabia, how great power competition and dynamics with Israel and Iran come into play, and the potential for the deal to trigger a regional arms race.
