Saudi Arabia in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
Saudi Arabia in July 2026 was defined by a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States. President Donald Trump approved a civilian nuclear deal on July 22 that lets the kingdom enrich uranium, and the two countries signed it on July 23. The administration plans to seek approval from Congress. Critics said the pact lacks certain nonproliferation safeguards and raised concerns that enrichment could serve military purposes, while the White House framed it as a boost to energy cooperation and regional stability. Trump tied the deal to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, saying it was subject to normalization with Israel. Israel viewed the pact as a potential security threat.
The war with Iran shaped much of the month. On July 2 Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman clashed over the war. On July 7 Saudi Arabia accused Iran of attacking an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, and the UAE condemned the attack on a Saudi-flagged tanker. Saudi Arabia and other Arab states on July 8 and 9 condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Top Iranian and Saudi diplomats also discussed regional developments on July 9. On July 18 Gulf states repeated their condemnation and rejected new fees on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf Cooperation Council said Iran violates international law.
On July 20 Yemen's Houthis announced a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, saying ships heading to Saudi ports would be targeted. Egypt and, earlier on July 14, Pakistan and the UAE expressed solidarity with the kingdom over attacks on it. Saudi Arabia hosted a regional summit on July 23. It received Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Jeddah on July 9, and reassessed the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor as Syria emerged as an alternative route to Israel.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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