Washington opens the door to a nuclear Saudi Arabia

The Trump administration is set to announce today the conclusion of a wide-ranging nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, a deal that could eventually allow the kingdom to enrich its own fuel for its reactors, according to US officials. Washington is seeking to strengthen its ties with Riyadh at a time when the war with Iran is straining the relationship. US authorities estimate that the agreement will bring billions of dollars to the country’s nuclear industry, starting with Westinghouse, which designs a large proportion of the reactors sold abroad.

The official signing is scheduled for today, ahead of a presentation of the details to Congress. When questioned in Manila, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sidestepped the issue, promising an announcement “once Washington wakes up” and assuring that the United States would not enter into any agreement “that poses a risk of proliferation”. However, several MPs from both sides of the political spectrum fear that the civilian programme could one day be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s 40-year-old strongman, has himself promised to equip Saudi Arabia with the bomb should Iran take that step.

To secure the agreement, Donald Trump has made significant concessions. The text could restrict international inspectors’ access to suspect sites, and a joint study on the fuel cycle could pave the way for uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing on Saudi soil. This is a far cry from the “gold standard” imposed on the United Arab Emirates in 2009, which had agreed to strict inspections and renounced the production of its own fuel.

This type of agreement, known as a “123 agreement”, establishes a legally binding framework designed to guarantee non-proliferation; the United States already has 26 such agreements in place. The agreement will have to go before Congress, which may pass a resolution to reject it, but its adoption remains likely. Meanwhile, Washington and Riyadh are making progress on a defence package including the sale of F-35 aircraft, whilst Saudi diplomats are, for their part, seeking to re-establish dialogue with Tehran. The New York Times

🇺🇦 Ukraine • On Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the army’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandre Syrsky, aged 60, who had come under fire for his style, deemed to be Soviet-style, and his disregard for casualties. He has been replaced by General Mykhailo Drapaty, 43, a popular figure among reformers who has been hailed even by protesters. The president continued this major reshuffle today by appointing Ihor Skybiouk as Chief of the General Staff. This upheaval, unprecedented since the start of the war, is a response to the anger sparked by the sacking of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the drone reformer, which had triggered several days of protests. On the ground, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded 1,396 civilians killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine during the first half of 2026, a 37 per cent increase. During the night between Monday and Tuesday, a strike on a ship carrying propane to a Ukrainian port caused a major fire off the Romanian coast, injuring three sailors.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom - 🇷🇺 Russia • A Russian warship carried out a live-fire exercise in the English Channel, south of Plymouth, on Monday, according to the British Ministry of Defence. The vessel, identified by several media outlets as the frigate Neustrashimy, had warned the patrol vessel HMS Tyne and asked it to move away. The exercise lasted around 30 minutes, on the day the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, arrived at Downing Street.

🇪🇺 European Union • The 27 member states were today attempting to agree on a 21st round of sanctions against Russia, targeting the banking sector in particular, with the addition of some 215 individuals and entities, including 94 financial institutions. The Commission is proposing to cap the price of Russian oil at $44.10 per barrel.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom • Labour’s Andy Burnham, who on Monday became the seventh British Prime Minister since 2016, formed a government on Tuesday that excluded loyalists of his predecessor, Keir Starmer. The former Mayor of Greater Manchester, nicknamed “the King of the North”, has pledged to bring down the cost of living whilst maintaining fiscal discipline, announcing the abolition of VAT on household electricity from 1 October.

🇪🇸 Spain • A “ferocious and uncontrolled” wildfire has already ravaged 32,000 hectares some 100 kilometres north of Madrid, forcing 1,200 people from 40 hamlets to flee their homes. Described as one of the most complex in the country’s modern history, the fire alone accounts for nearly a quarter of the area burnt in Spain this year. The authorities were hoping to bring it under control by tomorrow.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇺🇦 Ukraine • Kyiv has authorised the export of drones to the United States for a Pentagon combat simulation programme, “Drone Dominance”, according to a source. Six Ukrainian companies will be able to send around 100 drones each. The two countries are simultaneously negotiating a broader agreement, as Ukraine’s experience with drones against Russia is attracting keen interest abroad.

🇩🇪 Germany - 🇫🇷 France - 🇷🇺 Russia • On Wednesday, the German state of Lower Saxony authorised ANF, a subsidiary of the French firm Framatome, to produce nuclear fuel in cooperation with the Russian group Rosatom at a plant in Lingen. In the absence of European sanctions targeting Russia’s civil nuclear sector, Berlin deemed it unable to block the project – despite criticism – which involves the deployment of Russian experts and equipment. The regional environment minister sees this as a “disastrous signal” for Europe’s energy independence.

🇺🇦 Ukraine • On Monday, the International Monetary Fund approved an immediate disbursement of around $690 million to Kyiv, bringing the total disbursed under an 8.1 billion programme to 2.2 billion. The institution praised the country’s “remarkable resilience”, noting that it must continue its reforms to tackle corruption and in the areas of taxation and monetary policy.

🇨🇳 China – 🇺🇸 United States – 🇵🇭 Philippines • The ASEAN summit in Manila took place against a backdrop of tension. On Monday, the Chinese coastguard injured a Filipino sailor near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, prompting Beijing and Manila to summon their respective ambassadors. The United States and Australia condemned the move as “dangerous” and “destabilising”, whilst Beijing described it as a “provocation”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held talks lasting nearly 90 minutes, preparing for Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States in September and discussing trade and Taiwan. Rubio blamed Iran for the deadlock in the Middle East and defended freedom of navigation, warning against a power willing to “use trade as a geopolitical weapon”. The issue of Myanmar, which is in the throes of a civil war and whose senior officials have been excluded from major meetings since the 2021 coup, once again divided the diplomats. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was also present, is due to meet Rubio on Thursday to discuss Ukraine.

🇮🇳 India • The standoff continues between Narendra Modi’s government and the “cockroaches” movement, which is demanding the resignation of the Education Minister following allegations of cheating in university exams. On Monday, a demonstration by thousands of students in New Delhi was harshly suppressed: at least 180 people were injured according to the police, several hundred according to the organisers, as security forces fired tear gas and charged with batons. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who was briefly detained, demanded Modi’s resignation “for destroying the future of India’s youth”. Faced with the strongest backlash since its re-election in 2024, the government has, for the first time, said it is prepared to listen to the students, whose anger is also fuelled by the anxiety of a youth struggling to find employment.

🇹🇼 Taiwan • On Tuesday, the Taiwanese Parliament relaxed telecommunications legislation to pave the way for the roll-out of Starlink on the island, keen to secure its communications in the event of a conflict with China. The 49 per cent cap on foreign ownership had previously deterred Elon Musk’s company. However, there is no guarantee of its interest: Starlink has deemed the island a low priority, and reliance on Musk – who has close business ties with Beijing – is causing reservations.

🇲🇲 Myanmar - 🇰🇭 Cambodia • Victims of online scams in East and South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand lost up to $114.1 billion in 2025, a figure that has tripled since 2023, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Myanmar and Cambodia have become strongholds for criminal organisations that employ scammers, sometimes by force. Under pressure from several states, including China, the region says it intends to dismantle these networks.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇮🇷 Iran • The United States is “by no means finished” with Iran, warned Donald Trump, two weeks after hostilities resumed on 7 July, shattering the mid-June memorandum of understanding. The US military carried out an 11th consecutive night of strikes, with the president threatening to attack a secret underground nuclear complex in the Kolang Mountains “very soon”. Tehran, which speaks of an “all-out war”, is retaliating by targeting Washington’s regional allies: Kuwait has intercepted drones, whilst Jordan and Bahrain have come under attack. The latest Iranian death toll stands at at least 50 dead and 500 injured; on the US side, 17 service personnel have been killed since February, including three recently in Jordan and Iraq, for each of whom Trump has vowed to make Iran “pay the price”. The price of a barrel of Brent crude has exceeded $90 for the first time since early June. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has put the cost of the war to the United States at $37.5 billion up to the end of September.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇮🇱 Israel - 🇱🇧 Lebanon • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was received at the White House on Tuesday, the first time a Lebanese head of state has been received there in nearly 20 years. Speaking to Donald Trump, he described a total withdrawal of Israeli troops – who have been occupying the south of the country since March – as “essential” to strengthening the state’s authority. The two men discussed the disarmament of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah – a condition set by Israel for its withdrawal – as well as aid for reconstruction and the Lebanese army. Trump said he was prepared to engage in dialogue with Hezbollah and announced the resumption of direct flights between the United States and Lebanon, which had been suspended since 1985. On the ground, the Lebanese army has begun deploying to “pilot zones” evacuated by Israel – a trial phase of the June framework agreement – but has accused Israeli forces of opening fire near its units. According to Beirut, more than 4,300 people have been killed since March by Israeli strikes.

🇹🇷 Turkey • Özgür Özel, removed by the courts from the leadership of the CHP, the main opposition party, has announced the creation of a new movement which he hopes will become the leading opposition force in Parliament. The CHP was rocked by a court ruling in May reinstating his rival Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, and hundreds of its senior members have been arrested.

🇰🇼 Kuwait • Having been targeted by Iranian strikes on its power stations and desalination plants, Kuwait has asked its population to ration electricity to ensure a continuous supply. In one of the hottest countries in the world, where temperatures reach 50°C, residents are being forced to reduce their use of air conditioning. These attacks also threaten the drinking water supply, as the electricity that powers the desalination plants – which are vital in this arid region – is being disrupted.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇻🇪 Venezuela • US prosecutors and Nicolas Maduro, who was captured in January during a special forces operation in Caracas, have proposed that the Venezuelan president’s trial begin in June 2027. Charged with narco-terrorism, Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who was arrested alongside him, have pleaded not guilty.

🇺🇸 United States • On Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order urging the defence industry to prioritise sourcing from US companies, in order to secure its supply chains against foreign “subversion”. From 1 January, the Pentagon will no longer authorise the import of critical components, software and minerals without proof that no domestic supplier exists. The focus is on Chinese dominance over these rare metals, which are essential for weapons, semiconductors and batteries.

🇨🇦 Canada - 🇺🇸 United States • On Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 50 per cent tariff on a range of Canadian products, from wine and cement to ice-hockey sticks, in “response to Ottawa’s discriminatory treatment”. Energy, fisheries and critical minerals are excluded. Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced this as a “direct violation” of the North American Free Trade Agreement and announced equivalent measures.

🇺🇸 United States • Donald Trump has announced that imported generic medicines, which were previously exempt, will be subject to a 100 per cent tariff from August 2028, rising to 200 per cent thereafter, following a two-year zero-tariff period beginning on 1 August.

🇺🇬 Uganda – 🇨🇩 DRC • The Ebola outbreak has claimed more than 1,000 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, according to the WHO, with 999 deaths out of 2,473 confirmed cases on the Congolese side. Caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment, it is spreading “faster than any previous outbreak”. The outbreak is centred in Ituri, a poor and unstable province in the north-east, where burials carried out without protective equipment are accelerating the spread of the virus and where a single death has been known to lead to up to 17 cases.