President Donald Trump has approved a landmark civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that could allow the kingdom to develop uranium enrichment capabilities, a move that is expected to spark debate in Congress and raise concerns among nuclear nonproliferation experts.
According to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press because the agreement has not yet been formally announced, the deal could be made public as early as Wednesday. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The agreement, expected to remain in effect for 30 years, would allow U.S. companies to help develop Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear energy program. It also opens the door to constructing a uranium enrichment facility inside the kingdom following a joint U.S.-Saudi feasibility study.
The deal represents a major shift in U.S. policy toward Saudi Arabia's nuclear ambitions. While both the Trump and Biden administrations pursued nuclear cooperation with Riyadh, previous negotiations were slowed by disagreements over safeguards intended to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
At the center of the controversy is uranium enrichment, the process of increasing the concentration of uranium needed to fuel nuclear reactors.
Although enrichment is permitted for peaceful civilian energy programs, the same technology can also be used to produce material for nuclear weapons if enriched to much higher levels.
Experts say enrichment alone does not produce a nuclear weapon, but it provides a country with a critical capability that could shorten the path toward developing one if political leaders chose to do so.
Nonproliferation advocates have also expressed concern that the agreement reportedly does not include two safeguards commonly found in U.S. nuclear cooperation agreements: a commitment by Saudi Arabia to permanently forgo uranium enrichment and reprocessing, known as the "gold standard," and adoption of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, which allows for more intrusive international inspections.
The timing of the agreement is particularly sensitive. The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a central U.S. national security objective. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said that if Iran were to acquire a nuclear bomb, Saudi Arabia would seek one as well.
The agreement also comes after Saudi Arabia strengthened defense cooperation with nuclear-armed Pakistan, another development that has drawn attention from security analysts monitoring the region.
Unlike Saudi Arabia, neighboring United Arab Emirates accepted a U.S. "123 Agreement" that prohibited domestic uranium enrichment while allowing the country to develop civilian nuclear power. That arrangement has long been viewed by U.S. officials as the preferred model for limiting nuclear proliferation risks.
Under the Atomic Energy Act, the agreement will be submitted to Congress, triggering a review period during which lawmakers can attempt to block it through a joint resolution of disapproval. The proposal is expected to face close scrutiny from members of both parties who have questioned whether sufficient safeguards are in place to prevent the spread of sensitive nuclear technology.
If approved, the agreement would mark one of the most significant U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation initiatives in decades while potentially reshaping the strategic balance in the Middle East as regional powers continue to compete over security and nuclear capabilities.
