US Plans Civilian Nuclear Pact With Saudi Arabia That Omits Enrichment Safeguards

The United States plans to give Saudi Arabia a civilian nuclear program under an agreement Washington intends to announce, the Pakistani daily Dawn reported, citing US officials, even as fighting resumed between Saudi forces and Houthi fighters in Yemen. The pact, known as a 123 Agreement, would be submitted to Congress within days.

What the deal leaves out is the point of contention. As the Japan Times reported, the agreement lacks the terms that would block Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel, both potential pathways to a weapon, and it omits the enhanced International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight that Washington has historically required. Reuters, as carried by the Spokesman-Review, noted the contrast with the 2009 US-United Arab Emirates deal, in which the UAE agreed to forgo enrichment and accept intrusive inspections.

The stakes are regional. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has long said that if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would seek one too, a statement that is more significant given the ongoing US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. Once Trump signs and submits the agreement, lawmakers would have 90 days to pass a resolution of disapproval.

The absence of the so-called gold standard safeguards changes what a civilian program means. Supporters present it as energy cooperation and a commercial opening for US firms, while critics in Congress argue that permitting enrichment without enhanced inspections lowers the barrier to a future weapons capability in the Gulf.