Trump administration to submit Saudi nuclear deal without gold standard enrichment ban

The Trump administration is poised to submit a 30-year nuclear cooperation agreement to Congress that would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium and reprocess spent fuel, according to sources. The pact, known as a 123 Agreement, omits the "gold standard" safeguards and the IAEA Additional Protocol.

The deal and its missing safeguards

The agreement, to be signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, follows a preliminary pact signed in Riyadh last year. It provides a legal pathway for US companies to build and operate nuclear power plants in the kingdom, potentially including a uranium enrichment facility if a joint study deems it justified. The 30-year deal would give American firms a key role and exclude foreign competitors, according to the Wall Street Journal. The agreement does not bar Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent fuel, both pathways to fissile material for a warhead. It also lacks the Additional Protocol, which grants the IAEA snap inspection powers at undeclared sites.

Proliferation fears and regional reactions

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly stated that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would follow suit. In a 2018 CBS interview, he said Saudi Arabia does not want a nuclear bomb but would match an Iranian one. That stance, combined with the ongoing US-Iran war, has intensified concerns. Kelsey Davenport of the Arms Control Association warned that "with nuclear cooperation the devil is in the details," and said the documents suggest Washington has not carefully weighed proliferation risks. Israel, which has long opposed a Saudi nuclear program, is expected to react with alarm, and Iran will also view the deal as a threat, said Bader Al-Saif, a history professor at Kuwait University.

Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.

A triumph for Crown Prince Mohammed

For Prince Mohammed, the deal represents a victory after more than five years of pursuit. It advances his Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy away from oil, with nuclear power seen as a way to reduce domestic oil burning for electricity and desalination. The kingdom currently burns 1.4 million barrels of crude per day for power during peak summer months, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The agreement also decouples nuclear cooperation from Saudi recognition of Israel, a linkage that had stalled talks under the Biden administration. "The deal has been in the works for years -- it predates the Trump administration and speaks to the indisputable U.S. golden standard in nuclear technology," Al-Saif said.

The deal has been in the works for years -- it predates the Trump administration and speaks to the indisputable U.S. golden standard in nuclear technology.

Congressional and international opposition

The pact faces resistance in Congress, where lawmakers from both parties have demanded strict nonproliferation conditions. Senator Edward Markey called on Congress to reject the agreement, accusing the administration of caving to Riyadh. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Manila, declined to confirm the deal but said the US "would never conclude an agreement with any country in the world that would lead to a risk of proliferation." The agreement must be submitted for congressional review, but its approval is not required for it to take effect, according to France 24. The UAE, which signed a nuclear deal with the US in 2009, agreed to forgo enrichment, setting a precedent that this deal breaks.

We would never conclude an agreement with any country in the world that would lead to a risk of proliferation.

Commercial stakes and French rivalry

The US nuclear industry stands to gain billions of dollars from the deal, which would lock in American firms as primary contractors. France's EDF, one of four approved bidders, had sought a role, but the agreement appears to favor US companies. The US operates 94 reactors generating 782 TWh in 2024, while France's 57 reactors produced 373 TWh in 2025 and exported a record 92 TWh. The deal could help US firms compete globally, but the lack of safeguards may complicate international partnerships.