WASHINGTON: The United States is set to announce a long-awaited civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, according to US media reports, as renewed clashes continue between the kingdom and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Citing two unnamed US officials, The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration plans to formally sign and unveil the agreement. The administration says the deal will generate billions of dollars for the US nuclear industry.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the 30-year agreement would allow American companies to construct a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia if a joint assessment determines such a project is justified.
The agreement is expected to be submitted to Congress within days, although congressional approval is not required for it to take effect.
Two sources also told Reuters that the Trump administration intends to send a document known as a 123 Agreement to Congress. The agreement, to be signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, follows a preliminary accord reached in Riyadh last year.
Named after Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the agreement provides the legal framework required for US government agencies and American companies to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on developing a multibillion-dollar civilian nuclear programme.
Sources familiar with the deal said it does not include the “Gold Standard,” which would prohibit Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel—activities that could potentially be used to develop nuclear weapons.
The agreement also reportedly excludes the “Additional Protocol,” which grants the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency broader inspection powers, including the authority to conduct snap inspections at undeclared nuclear sites. The sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
One source said the agreement could be submitted to Congress as early as Wednesday, while another suggested it could be sent within a week. A third source confirmed it would be submitted soon but declined to comment on whether the safeguards were absent.
Chris Wright previously said the preliminary agreement was not focused on uranium enrichment and included all non-proliferation standards required under the Atomic Energy Act, which he described as among the strongest in the world.
One source added that while the agreement creates a legal framework for cooperation across the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium enrichment, it does not require the United States to transfer enrichment technology or related capabilities to Saudi Arabia.
Proliferation concerns
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has long said if Iran developed a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would too, fueling concern among arms control advocates and some US lawmakers over a civil nuclear deal.
The crown prince told CBS in 2018 that “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”.
The kingdom has also said it wants to reserve the right to enrich uranium.
The United Arab Emirates agreed to the “Gold Standard” in 2009 when it signed a 123 Agreement with Washington.
Once 123 agreements are submitted to Congress, they go into a review period of about 90 days of continuous congressional sessions for lawmakers to object, or they go into force.
To block the agreement, Congress would need to pass a joint resolution and have a two-thirds majority to override any presidential veto.
Many Democrats and some Republicans, including President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he served in the Senate, have insisted any agreement include guardrails.
