US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Expected Amid Proliferation Concerns

The Trump administration is poised to announce an agreement with Saudi Arabia that could enable the kingdom to build a uranium-enrichment facility for a civilian nuclear program. The deal, expected to be submitted to Congress within days, would span 30 years and involve U.S. firms in developing the technology. It is not anticipated to include the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, which would allow more extensive monitoring and verification.

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Both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden have previously expressed interest in sharing American nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia. The announcement comes amid the ongoing U.S.–Israel war against Iran, which seeks to curtail Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has hinted that the kingdom might pursue a weapons capability if Iran acquires a bomb, heightening regional alarm.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that any U.S. He emphasized that the United States will avoid deals that increase proliferation risk, even as the administration moves forward with the Saudi proposal. The White House and Saudi officials have not provided comment, and the U.S. Department of Energy declined to respond to inquiries.

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Alexander Bollfrass, a nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, described the proposal as “a revolutionary new approach” that departs from the “highest possible safeguards” normally required for sensitive technology transfers. Non-proliferation experts warn that even limited centrifuge capability could open a pathway to a weapons program, especially given Saudi Arabia’s recent defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan, whose defense minister pledged that Pakistan’s nuclear assets could be made available to Saudi Arabia if needed. The United Arab Emirates, a regional neighbor, pursued a U.S. “123 agreement” for a power plant without seeking enrichment, a model many experts cite as the “gold standard” for peaceful nuclear development.

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• “The U.S. is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation,” — State Marco Rubio

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• “The revolutionary aspect of this agreement is that the United States is not asking Saudi Arabia to abide by the highest possible safeguards, internationally monitored safeguards that are standard and are available today, but instead is willing to at least theoretically transfer highly sensitive technology without the same level of oversight that one would expect,” — Bolfrass

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