Why Is the U.S. Building the Saudi Nuclear Program While Destroying Iran’s?
The Daily
Jul 23, 2026
The U.S. has finalized a deal to provide Saudi Arabia with nuclear power technology, sparking intense debate over non-proliferation risks. By decoupling the deal from regional diplomatic normalization, the Trump administration is prioritizing economic ties and strategic influence over the stringent safety standards previously demanded of regional allies.
Key insight: The United States originally provided Iran with its first nuclear reactor under the Shah, a historical precedent that serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly geopolitical alliances can shift, leaving nuclear infrastructure in potentially hostile hands.
