Trump Approves Nuclear Agreement That May Allow Saudi Arabia To Enrich Uranium: Report
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump He approved a deal with Saudi Arabia that could potentially bring wealth to the kingdom. uranium enrichment capacity for its civilian nuclear program, according to two people 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.
However, the agreement, which is expected to be submitted to Congress for review, may encounter headwinds Among lawmakers who fear that helping the Saudis realize their long-standing desire to enrich their own uranium would open a new chapter in nuclear proliferation and competition.
Saudi Arabia is a member country International Atomic Energy Agency, A Vienna-based institution that promotes peaceful nuclear work while also inspecting countries to ensure they do not have secret atomic weapons programs.
However, the agreement is not expected to include the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which would allow for greater monitoring, inspection and verification, according to one of the sources.
The expected announcement came in the meantime war against Iran It was initiated by the United States and Israel in part to eliminate Tehran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has insisted that its nuclear enrichment program is peaceful.
The White House and Saudi officials in Riyadh did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision, first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Both Trump and the former President Joe Biden He tried to reach a nuclear agreement with the kingdom to share American technology.
But non-proliferation experts warn that any centrifuges spinning in Saudi Arabia could open the door to a possible weapons program by the kingdom’s alleged de facto leader. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, He suggested that if Tehran obtained an atomic bomb, it might pursue it.
Energy Minister Chris Wright He traveled to Saudi Arabia last year, shortly before Trump visited the kingdom and discussed building the kingdom’s commercial nuclear energy industry with his Saudi counterpart. The U.S. Department of Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Tuesday.
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 itself, something that non-proliferation experts consider the “gold standard” for countries seeking atomic energy.
Price reported from Manila, Philippines and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP writers Will Weissert and Matthew Daly contributed from Washington.
