Welcome back to the Global Overview, where we look at the key points US-Saudi Arabia nuclear deal, White House threats against Iranian civil infrastructure, and Ukrainenew commander in chief.
There is no ‘Gold Standard’
US President Donald Trump has approved a historical agreement and Saudi Arabia to help that country develop a civilian nuclear program, the The Wall Street Journal first reported. The agreement is expected to be officially signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday. However, the agreement reportedly does not include the usual US “gold standard”, which prevents allied countries from enriching uranium or reprocessing atomic fuel—both of which could be used to make a nuclear warhead.
Welcome back to the Global Overview, where we look at the key points US-Saudi Arabia nuclear deal, White House threats against Iranian civil infrastructure, and Ukrainenew commander in chief.
There is no ‘Gold Standard’
US President Donald Trump has approved a historical agreement and Saudi Arabia to help that country develop a civilian nuclear program, the The Wall Street Journal first reported. The agreement is expected to be officially signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday. However, the agreement reportedly does not include the usual US “gold standard”, which prevents allied countries from enriching uranium or reprocessing atomic fuel—both of which could be used to make a nuclear warhead.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have negotiated the possibility of nuclear cooperation for years, but progress was slow until last April, when Wright traveled to Riyadh to begin setting up the initial system. That outline has evolved into a 30-year contract estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars.
Under the reported agreement, which has not yet been released, American companies will play a leading role in the development of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure. Trump administration officials say that American companies are involved means Washington can exert its influence about Riyadh’s nuclear ambitions, pursue its military deterrence plan, and shut out foreign competitors hoping to gain a foothold in the region.
US and Saudi officials will also a a two-year joint study to determine if the country needs the ability to enrich uranium. If the study finds that enrichment is warranted, then the accord includes a provision that would allow American businesses to build such a facility in Saudi Arabia under a classified “black box” arrangement that prevents the country from accessing the sensitive technology involved. If the US refuses to move forward with enrichment, then Riyadh will not be allowed to carry out enrichment itself or with another foreign partner for 10 years.
The deal provides a major win for Washington and Riyadh. For the White House, the deal strengthens an important bilateral partnership, revives the United States’ own nuclear development, and undermines China and Russia’s ambitions in the Persian Gulf. For Saudi Arabia, it helps reduce carbon emissions and gives the kingdom another way to meet its domestic energy needs, freeing up more Saudi crude for export.
But many US lawmakers fear that the absence of restrictions on the gold standard could open the door to further proliferation of nuclear weapons in an already fragile region. “A president fighting to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East should not facilitate proliferation just because American companies stand to profit,” Democratic Representative Brad Sherman said. he wrote on X on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia insists it only plans to use nuclear power citizen’s purpose; the kingdom is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which requires independent monitoring and inspection of facilities, and is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which authorizes Riyadh not to develop an atomic bomb.
However, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that Riyadh would develop a nuclear weapon if Iran did. And in September 2025, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense treaty and nuclear-armed Pakistan, which later insisted that Islamabad’s nuclear program would be “handed over” to Saudi Arabia if it needed it.
But the Trump administration seems unconcerned. “Suffice it to say, the United States will not reach any agreement with any country in the world that poses a risk of proliferation,” the US Secretary of State said. Marco Rubio he said Wednesday. The agreement is expected to be sent to Congress for review in the coming days.
Today’s Most Read
What we’re after
Bridges, power plants, and more. Trump he swore Wednesday to attack the infrastructure of Iranian citizens if the country’s forces continue to target ships in the area. “From now on, whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran launches a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether with a Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including the one near or within the Capital of Tehran,” the US president. he wrote on Social Reality.
The White House has threatened before targeting Iran’s nuclear power plants and bridges despite legal experts questioning that the attacks could constitute war crimes. And on Tuesday, Trump he suggested so that he can resume attacks on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities (ie, Pickaxe Mountain) as well as possibly launch military operations against Iran-backed Iran. Houthi rebel group in Yemen for the siege of Saudi Arabia.
Rubio he demanded on Wednesday that Tehran was not serious about peace talks. “If they are serious, we are serious. If they are not, then we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and also the interests of our partners,” he told reporters in Manila. Meanwhile, senior Iranian officials the suspect Trump of being in “trouble,” and state media reported that Tehran plans to retaliate against regional infrastructure for Trump’s latest threats.
New leadership. The new commander in chief of Ukraine, Major General. Mykhailo Drapatypromised on Wednesday to strengthen Kyiv’s military capabilities without making “big promises,” referring to the political turmoil that has engulfed Kyiv’s defense establishment in recent days. Drapatyi was appointed on Tuesday after the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky he accepted the demands of the protesters sacking the previous commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, whose rift with former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was one of the main reasons for the leader’s dismissal last week.
Zelensky “set a clear task for us – to continue and strengthen offensive operations on all fronts, plan new operations behind the enemy, develop the army and technology in it, and increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Drapatyi. he wrote on Facebook Wednesday. A decorated front-line commander, Drapatyi supports similar strategies like Fedorov, including the importance of drone development, technology development, and greater transparency.
Also on Wednesday, EU ambassadors tried to approve another big meeting package of sanctions against Russia. This would target Moscow’s banking sector, listing 215 individuals and organizations, as well as 94 financial institutions. However, new rifts have emerged in the union, with Greece refusing to back the package unless the EU agrees to reduce restrictions on Russian natural gas that will come into force on January 1, 2027. Athens argues that the ban will affect one of its companies. major shipping companies without having a significant impact on the Russian economy.
Stay offline. France it happened the first country in the European Union on Tuesday to adopt age-based social media restrictions. The ban would prevent children under the age of 15 from holding online accounts, except for digital educational tools, and would extend the ban on cell phone use in schools to include high schools. The law—passed by both houses of parliament—could go into effect early September 1.
Last December, Australia became the first country in the world to enact age-based social media bans. Within a month, French President Emmanuel Macron was he swore have Paris follow suit. “The feelings of our children and our youth are not sold or manipulated, not by American platforms or Chinese regulations,” Macron said in January. He then ordered French lawmakers to speed up approval of the bill so that it would be ready by the start of the next school year.
With Macron expected to end his term in May 2027, this law could be one of his last major legislative achievements. But while many French parents applauded Tuesday’s vote, the early evidence suggests that this type of ban may not be effective, as young people in Australia have been able to stay online.
Odds and Ends
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seems eager to portray herself as the people of her constituency: working long, hard hours and spending little time doing housework. But a social media post on Monday, where he bragged about his “full five hours of sleep” during the Japan Sea Day holiday, he instead revealed a long-running debate about the ideal. work life balance and the effects of sleep deprivation; Takaichi claimed to get zero to three hours of sleep every night since entering the office. According to health expertsadults aged 65 or older (like Takaichi) should get seven or eight hours of sleep a night.
