U.S. Signs Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with Saudi Arabia

The Trump administration has entered into a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. This deal permits American companies to manage commercial nuclear power plants on Saudi soil. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, signed the agreement as announced by the Department of Energy on Wednesday. An accompanying agreement on safeguards was also signed.

Congress will now review the deal, with a 90-day period to consider it. Under the cooperation agreement, American companies gain priority access to Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program. They have the opportunity to supply nuclear reactors and fuel, as highlighted in an administration memo accessed by NPR. The agreement is projected to be of multi-decade duration and worth billions of dollars according to the Energy Department.

Wright stated, “These agreements reflect our two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home, and security to our allies abroad.” He assured that the agreements uphold high standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, leveraging advanced U.S. nuclear technology and expertise.

However, the memo revealed the absence of the “gold standard” provisions. These would prohibit Saudi Arabia from uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel reprocessing, and do not compel Saudi Arabia to adopt greater oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This raises concerns over potential pathways for weapon development. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman noted that if Iran developed a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would pursue the same.

Rep. Brad Sherman commented before the agreement announcement, “Congress should approve only if the deal has the same gold-standard safeguards as our deal with the UAE.” He questioned facilitating proliferation for U.S. company profits amidst efforts to curb nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

The memo asserts that the U.S. does not endorse a Saudi nuclear weapons program and that the cooperation is limited to peaceful nuclear energy efforts. It states the agreement contains nonproliferation terms in line with the Atomic Energy Act. However, it does not require the U.S. to transfer fuel cycle technologies to Saudi Arabia.

Matthew Bunn, a nuclear proliferation expert at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, remarked in a discussion with NPR’s All Things Considered that this deal might complicate negotiations with Iran over a reasonable agreement involving thorough inspections. Iran, knowing Saudi Arabia lacks these commitments, could be less inclined to accept intrusive inspection demands.