Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana raised issue with Trump’s proposed arrangement, firmly answering “no” when asked if he was comfortable with it, insisting it’s “just not good timing.”
“We're bombing a country to keep them from getting a nuclear weapon, but we're signing a deal with another country,” he said. “I know it's a commercial agreement, but that the world perceives, as possibly, someday, leading to a nuclear weapon.”
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia announced they had reached a civil nuclear agreement on Wednesday, in addition to signing an accompanying bilateral safeguards agreement.
However, the day after the agreement was signed, Trump added a condition—stating the deal is dependent on Riyadh recognizing Israel under the Abraham Accords.
In the Oval Office on Friday, Trump reaffirmed his stance and told reporters that he had not spoken about the accords with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright before the cabinet member signed the deal with Saudi Minister of Energy His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed support for the idea, saying “Saudi Arabia's joining of the Abraham Accords would be an historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East.”
“I don't think it's going to happen, anyway, because the President's conditioned it on Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel, and they're not, they're not going to do that,” he said.
-signing condition has also prompted a response from Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who called it a “complete whiplash.”
Sen. John Kennedy asks questions during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 12, 2026. —Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images
What happens now?
The U.S.-Saudi Arabia civil nuclear deal—commonly known as a 123 agreement—needs to be transmitted to Congress for approval.
There would need to be a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto. As lawmakers across party aisles have raised concerns and questions about the deal, the road ahead is uncertain.
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