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[INTERNATIONAL] · United States, Saudi Arabia · 58 sources

Trump approves Saudi nuclear cooperation allowing uranium enrichment

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed off on a landmark 30‑year civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. The pact would let the kingdom develop a domestic nuclear program and could permit the construction of a uranium‑enrichment facility, with American firms playing a central role and the deal valued at tens of billions of dollars.

The agreement departs from the previous "gold‑standard" approach because it does not require Saudi Arabia to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol or other strict safeguards that block enrichment and re‑processing. Arms‑control experts warn that the technology could be diverted to a weapons program, especially after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's statements that Saudi Arabia would pursue its own nuclear weapons if Iran obtained a bomb.

The draft is slated for submission to the U.S. Congress within days, where it will face scrutiny and possible opposition. A joint U.S.–Saudi technical study will decide whether an enrichment plant is economically justified before any construction proceeds.

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