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NewsNation host reports claimed 30-year US–Saudi nuclear deal allowing enrichment

Reality Check with Ross Coulthart · Trump attends dignified transfer of killed soldiers as strikes on Iran continue · July 22, 2026
NewsNation host reports claimed 30-year US–Saudi nuclear deal allowing enrichment
Reality Check with Ross Coulthart
Reality Check with Ross Coulthart
Trump attends dignified transfer of killed soldiers as strikes on Iran continue
"And finally this morning, a nuclear deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia for 30 years that will allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, but only for civilian purposes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio trying to get ahead of any concerns that are out there about nuclear proliferation, saying the US would not sign any deal with any country in the world that would risk nuclear proliferation."
A NewsNation host reports that the US and Saudi Arabia have reached a claimed 30-year nuclear deal that would allow Saudi uranium enrichment for civilian purposes. The segment says Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to address proliferation concerns by arguing the US would not sign any agreement that risks nuclear proliferation.

About this episode

This 90-second NewsNation "Reality Check" update, filed from the White House, reports several developments related to US military activity and security policy in the Middle East. The host says the US is coming off another night of strikes, describing it as the 11th consecutive day that US forces in the region have targeted Iran’s ability to mine vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The segment also reports President Donald Trump travelled to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of four US soldiers killed in action, stating three were killed in Jordan over the weekend and one in Iraq, and noting it would be the third dignified transfer Trump has attended since February.

The host then references a Senate appropriations hearing involving Pete Hegseth (described in the segment as “Secretary of War”) and Joint Chiefs chair Dan Kaine, saying they presented a $67 billion request tied to the “war effort in Iran”, alongside a broader Pentagon budget request of $1.5 trillion, and warned of consequences if Congress does not meet the demand.

Finally, the segment reports a purported 30-year nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia that would allow Saudi uranium enrichment “only for civilian purposes”, and says Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued the US would not sign any deal that risks nuclear proliferation.

Key takeaways

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