Saudis Reach Deal With U.S. That Could Let Them Enrich Nuclear Fuel

The New York Times  |  David E. Sanger, Edward Wong, William J. Broad

The Trump administration plans to announce a bilateral nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that could permit the kingdom to enrich its own uranium fuel. This controversial accord aims to strengthen geopolitical ties between Washington and Riyadh amid escalating regional tensions with Iran, while potentially generating billions of dollars for the struggling American nuclear industry.

Historically, Washington sought to tie this civilian nuclear cooperation to Saudi diplomatic recognition of Israel, a diplomatic track that stalled following the October 2023 Hamas attacks. By decoupling these complex issues, the current administration has bypassed previous normalization prerequisites to expedite the commercial and strategic partnership. Although the deal faces intense scrutiny from Israeli officials and bipartisan United States lawmakers concerned about long-term proliferation risks, congressional opponents would require an unlikely veto-proof majority to block the initiative. The agreement will soon undergo formal legislative review under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

Comment

Washington risks dismantling the non-proliferation gold standard established in the 2009 US-UAE Section 123 Agreement. This concession will likely incentivise regional competitors like Turkey to demand similar enrichment rights. Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency faces unprecedented safeguarding challenges across the Middle East. Ultimately, this shift compromises global security for short-term commercial gains for Westinghouse.

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