Trump approves nuclear agreement that may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, two AP sources say
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has approved a deal with Saudi Arabia that could provide the kingdom with uranium enrichment capacity for its civilian nuclear program, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The agreement is expected to be made public as early as Wednesday, said the people who were not authorized to comment publicly on the decision, which has not yet been officially announced.
The agreement is expected to last 30 years and US companies are expected to be involved in the development of the program. The deal could allow for the construction of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia, following joint US-Saudi work.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Both Trump and former President Joe Biden tried to reach a nuclear deal with the kingdom to share American technology.
But nonproliferation experts warn that any centrifuges spinning in Saudi Arabia could open the door to a possible weapons program for the kingdom; The Saudi crown prince has suggested that if Tehran obtains an atomic bomb, it could pursue it.
Already Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement after Israel launched an attack on Qatar targeting Hamas officials. Pakistan’s defense minister later said his country’s nuclear program would be “made available” to Saudi Arabia if necessary; This was seen as a warning to Israel, long believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state.
Enrichment is not an automatic route to a nuclear weapon; a nation must also master other steps, including, for example, the use of synchronized high explosives. But this opens the door to proliferation, which fuels Western concerns about Iran’s program.
Saudi Arabia’s neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, signed the so-called “123 agreement” with the United States to build the Barakah nuclear power plant with the help of South Korea. But the UAE did so without seeking to enrich something that non-proliferation experts consider the “gold standard” for countries seeking atomic energy.
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Prices were reported from Manilla, Philippines, and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
