Washington/Riyadh, Feb 21 (.) The US is moving towards finalising a multi0billion dollar civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, a step that could pave the way for the kingdom to develop sensitive nuclear capabilities, according to concerns raised by the Arms Control Association (ACA), due to lack of any direct safeguards.
The framework, concluded last year between Washington and Riyadh, would allow American firms to compete to build the kingdom’s first nuclear power reactors.
It is intended to lead to a so-called “123 Agreement” under the US Atomic Energy Act, which governs transfers of US nuclear technology, materials and equipment abroad. Such cooperation could be worth tens of billions of dollars.
The administration of President Donald Trump submitted an initial framework report to Congress in November.
However, the ACA, which reviewed the document, warned that the proposed arrangement lacks robust non-proliferation safeguards and may permit the KSA to enrich uranium, as such potentially allowing for weaponisation of nuclear power.
Kelsey Davenport, the ACA’s director for non-proliferation policy, said the report raised increased questions about whether the administration had fully considered proliferation risks or the broader precedent that such a deal may set.
As such, she urged Congress to exercise close scrutiny over the agreement, arguing that it appears to detract from the US’ longstanding policy of requiring partners to forgo uranium enrichment and reprocessing – both of which can facilitate weapons development – and to accept intrusive international monitoring.
Under US law, once the agreement is formally submitted, Congress will have 90 days to review it. Unless both chambers vote to block it, the deal would automatically take effect.
Saudi Arabia has consistently said it does not seek nuclear weapons and that its nuclear programme is intended to diversify energy sources and conserve oil for export. Nevertheless, the country’s leader Crown Prince Md bin Salman has previously stated that Riyadh would pursue nuclear weaponisation should Iran do so.
The prospective US-Saudi accord stands in stark contrast to Washington’s position towards Tehran, where President Trump has explicitly demanded that Iran halt all uranium enrichment and has repeatedly warned of direct military intervention if an agreement on the Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear programme is not reached.
He has repeatedly accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons – a charge Tehran denies – while Iranian officials have signalled limited flexibility on enrichment levels but rejected a complete cessation, citing civilian energy needs. A new round of indirect US-Iran talks is expected next week.
The US-KSA nuclear diplomacy unfolds amid another major development in the global arms control architecture, due to the expiration of the New START treaty between the US and Russia earlier this month, leaving the two largest nuclear powers without any kind of a formal strategic arms control framework for the first time in decades.
Moscow has called for discussions on renewal, while Washington has yet to provide a formal response, though Vice-President JD Vance has indicated that talks on a possible updated framework are under way.
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