Saudi Arabia’s nuclear deal with the US could create a path to enriching uranium – National
The US and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday struck a new deal that could give the kingdom the ability to enrich uranium in its nuclear program.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman officially signed the nuclear cooperation agreement, known as the 123 agreement, and what the Trump administration described as a “bilateral defense agreement.”
US officials released few details of the deal, but the draft paves the way for the construction of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia after a joint US-Saudi study, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“These agreements demonstrate the commitment of our two nations to strengthening the US-Saudi trade relationship, bringing prosperity at home and security to our partners abroad,” Wright said in a statement. “Be assured that these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear security and non-proliferation, while relying on world-leading nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States.”
Earlier, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio wanted to deflect the emerging criticism of the decision investigated by journalists with the risk that helping the Saudis achieve their long-term ambition to enrich their uranium could lead to new rounds of nuclear proliferation and competition in a volatile environment.
“The US will not reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of escalation,” said Rubio, who traveled to the Philippines on Wednesday.
The deal does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, which would allow for more monitoring, inspection and verification, according to one of the people familiar with the decision.
The agreement is expected to last for 30 years and involve US firms in developing the system. The Department of Energy said in a statement that it will be submitted for review to Congress, where it may face opposition.
The announcement comes amid a war against Iran launched by the US and Israel, in part, to eliminate Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has insisted that its nuclear enrichment program is peaceful.
Before the announcement, Alexander Bollfrass, a nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, called the deal a “new revolutionary step” in nuclear non-proliferation policy.
“The transformative aspect of this agreement is that the United States is not asking Saudi Arabia to comply with the highest level of defense, the world-class security that is available today, but rather that it is willing to transfer at least the most critical technology without the same level of oversight that one would expect,” Bollfrass said.
Both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden have tried to reach a nuclear deal with the regime to share American technology.
Enrichment can open the door to weapons
Nonproliferation experts warn any spinning centrifuges inside Saudi Arabia could open the door to a potential weapons program for the kingdom, something its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has suggested he might pursue if Tehran gets an atomic bomb.
Wright traveled to Saudi Arabia last year just before Trump’s visit and discussed building the kingdom’s nuclear power plant with his Saudi counterpart. The US Department of Energy did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Already, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a defense pact after Israel attacked Qatar targeting Hamas officials. Pakistan’s defense minister then said his nation’s nuclear program would be “available” to Saudi Arabia if needed, in what was seen as a warning to Israel, long believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons.
Some lawmakers are hesitant to give the Saudis the power to enrich themselves
Enrichment is not an automatic path to a nuclear weapon – a nation must also be capable of other measures, including the use of synchronized high explosives, for example. But it opens the door to the use of weapons, which has fueled Western concerns about Iran’s program.
The United Arab Emirates, a neighbor of Saudi Arabia, signed the so-called “123 agreement” with the US to build its nuclear power plant in Barakah with the help of South Korea. But the UAE has done so without seeking enrichment, something nonproliferation experts hold as the “gold standard” for nations seeking atomic energy.
Rubio, as a Republican senator representing Florida, supported a bipartisan proposal in 2018 that required Congress to approve any 123 agreement with Saudi Arabia. The bill was returned by the Democratic Alliance group of lawmakers in March but has not yet been passed into law.
Normally, the 123 agreement – which authorizes US companies to sell nuclear technology abroad – goes into effect unless Congressional veto-proof officials make joint decisions of disapproval.
Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East at Defense Priorities, a Washington think tank, said that the ability to enrich uranium could give Saudi Arabia “a powerful source to extract future agreements from Washington, including new security guarantees, by threatening to use its program unless the United States promises enhanced military protection.”
“Giving Riyadh enriched uranium would embarrass the United States with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia forever,” Kelanic said.
US firms could be winners in the expected deal
Representative Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, predicted the deal would benefit US nuclear giant Westinghouse, which builds powerful reactors sought by Saudi Arabia.
The Trump administration said last month it was providing a $17.5 billion loan to accelerate the development of 10 new nuclear reactors designed by Westinghouse to meet growing energy demand from large data centers. The new reactors could use the same design, Westinghouse’s AP1000, in the planned Saudi deal.
Sherman said the US military is “bombing Iran because it insists on enriching and reprocessing” nuclear materials.
Now it seems that American officials are “entering into an agreement with Saudi Arabia, giving the green light to re-evaluate and advise, and the only difference I see here is that Westinghouse stands to make a lot of money from this deal, while the Iranians did not advise American companies,” said Sherman to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Price reported in Manila, Philippines. Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London and Will Weissert contributed to this report.
