Will the nuke deal with Saudi's fall apart before the weekend is over?
53% of users predicted NO — the community got this one right. 36 predictions cast.
The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, known as a 123 agreement, on July 22, 2026. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the deal alongside a related bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement, laying the groundwork for a 30-year partnership giving American companies access to Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear energy program.
The agreement drew criticism because it omits the "gold standard" restrictions that would bar Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing nuclear fuel, and it places oversight under a bilateral framework rather than the International Atomic Energy Agency. Sen. Ed Markey and nonproliferation experts warned the arrangement could open a pathway toward weapons-capable technology, and President Trump separately said the deal was contingent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. Those tensions fueled speculation the agreement could quickly unravel.
It did not. Through the following weekend the deal remained intact, with the matter moving into a mandatory 90-day congressional review period rather than collapsing. No reports emerged of either government withdrawing from or renegotiating the terms.
The community was closely split, with 47% predicting the deal would fall apart, reflecting genuine uncertainty given the public criticism, though the majority correctly anticipated it would hold.