NPR News: 07-23-2026 2PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump now says an agreement for the US to build and run nuclear energy plants in Saudi Arabia depends on Saudi Arabia first normalizing ties with Israel, something that NPR's Emily Feng reports the kingdom has said it will not do unless Israel allows a Palestinian state.

Emily Feng0:22

At first, the Saudi agreement shocked Israel, with many blaming Israel's current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak told the country's army-run radio station: [speaking foreign language] That the agreement was a sign of deepening distrust between President Trump and Netanyahu. But Israeli officials applauded Trump's follow-up social media post, with Netanyahu's office saying in a statement, quote, "Saudi Arabia's joining of the Abraham Accords would be a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East." The Abraham Accords normalize relations between Israel and two Gulf states, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Emily Feng, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Lakshmi Singh· Host1:04

Global oil prices surged while stock markets slumped as attentions in the Middle East threaten to push up energy costs and therefore inflation. NPR's Rafael Nam takes a look at financial markets.

Rafael Nam1:15

The attacks by Houthi militants on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea sent the prices of Brent crude, the global benchmark, to $100. All of this comes at a disconcerting time for the US economy. Although inflation had eased in June, it could start climbing again.