Amid the renewed escalation in West Asia and the subsequent attacks across the Gulf, US President Donald Trump has greenlit an agreement with Saudi Arabia that paves the way for the country to have a civilian
nuclear program and opens the door to uranium enrichment on its soil, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing officials.
The new deal with Riyadh, a key ally of Washington in the Gulf, would last 30 years. Estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, the agreement entrusts American companies with a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure.
The pact departs from conventional US nuclear agreements by eliminating safeguards that Washington has traditionally sought to ensure civilian nuclear programmes are not used to develop weapons capabilities.
The Trump administration is mulling to present the pact to the Congress in the coming days, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The package features a so-called ‘123 Agreement’ that was signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
Established by Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, a ‘123 Agreement’ is a mandatory prerequisite for the US to engage in civilian nuclear agreement with other nations.
But Here’s A Catch
Experts warn that the deal that omits global safeguards and allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically could lead to the country developing nuclear weapons, especially in the face of regional threats.
Previously, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman declared that the kingdom would seek its own nuclear weapons if regional rival Iran were to pursue one.
Pertinent to note that Iran’s uranium enrichment programme and its pursuit of nuclear capabilities emerged as a major source of regional tension, with the US and Israel collectively opposing the move. This ultimately culminated in a large-scale military confrontation, further destabilising the region.
Saudi Arabia Came Under Iranian Strikes
With Saudi currently hosting over 2,300 U.S. military personnel, primarily stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base, the kingdom repeatedly faced Iranian attacks as Tehran retaliated to the US-Israeli strikes by targeting facilities across the Gulf.
Most recently, Iran launched a highly distributed, three-vector military strike package directly targeting critical infrastructure and a joint military base inside Saudi Arabia. The attack marked the first direct Iranian attack on the kingdom’s territory in about four months.
