US and Saudi Arabia sign nuclear cooperation deal allowing uranium enrichment, bypassing nonproliferation safeguards

The agreement

The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a 30-year nuclear cooperation agreement on Wednesday, formally opening the door for the kingdom to enrich uranium and build reactors with American technology. The pact, known as a 123 Agreement, was signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. President Donald Trump had given his approval late the previous week, according to administration officials. The deal is valued at tens of billions of dollars and is expected to benefit Westinghouse, the US reactor designer jointly owned by Canada's Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.

You can be assured that these agreements meet the highest standards of safety and non-proliferation, while relying on the best nuclear technology and scientists in the world, developed right here in the United States.

What the deal includes, and omits

Unlike the framework pursued under former President Joe Biden, the agreement does not contain the Gold Standard provision that would automatically halt cooperation if Saudi Arabia pursued nuclear weapons. It also lacks the Additional Protocol, which would empower the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct short-notice, intrusive inspections. A key clause would allow US firms to build a uranium enrichment plant in Saudi Arabia if a joint study determines it is justified, giving Washington a lever over the program. The Energy Department said the deal would expand US nuclear exports, create high-paying jobs, and strengthen non-proliferation norms, while giving American companies preferential access to the Saudi market and excluding competitors from Russia and China.

The agreement could help revitalize the US nuclear industry, strengthen US-Saudi ties, and deny Russia and China a strategically important role in the Saudi nuclear program. But unless it contains adequate restrictions, including on enrichment, it could increase nuclear proliferation risks in the Middle East and beyond.

A long road to the deal

Nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia has been under discussion for years. The idea was first explored during Trump's initial term and later became part of a broader Biden-era strategy that tied the nuclear pact to Saudi diplomatic recognition of Israel, building on the 2020 Abraham Accords. Those efforts stalled after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. Trump revived the nuclear component as a standalone initiative, approving it in mid-July 2026 and decoupling it from any requirement that Riyadh recognize Israel.

Regional tensions and the Iran war

The signing comes as the United States is engaged in a war with Iran that began, in large part, over concerns about Tehran's nuclear program. Saudi Arabia, Iran's chief regional rival, has long asserted its right to a civilian nuclear capability and last year signed a mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan. Israeli officials and nationalist media have warned that the deal will ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Manila, pushed back against proliferation concerns.

Suffice it to say that the United States will not enter into any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation.

Congressional path

The agreement now goes to Congress, which has 90 legislative days to raise objections. With Republicans controlling both chambers, the deal is expected to survive; blocking it would require a two-thirds majority to override a likely presidential veto. Some lawmakers from both parties have voiced opposition, citing the absence of the Gold Standard and the potential for a regional arms race, but the numbers appear insufficient to stop it.