President Donald Trump approved the civilian nuclear agreement, which opens the door for Saudi Arabia to begin enriching its own nuclear fuel after two years and waives standard inspection agreements that apply to more than 140 other nations. The deal positions American companies, including Westinghouse, to secure major contracts for building nuclear reactors on Saudi territory.
Nuclear Concessions and Washington’s Balancing Act
US president Donald Trump went to war with Iran in part to force compliance with two long-standing US demands: Iran must stop enriching nuclear fuel for at least two decades, and it must allow international inspectors to go anywhere and see anything to verify the country is not producing a bomb. On Wednesday, Trump took the reverse approach to Saudi Arabia, its close ally in the region. To seal a deal for Westinghouse and other American companies to seize a big piece of the business in building two nuclear reactors on Saudi territory – and more to come – it opened the door to allowing the kingdom to begin enriching its own nuclear fuel after two years. And it gave in to the kingdom’s demand that it not have to abide by an inspection agreement that applies to more than 140 other countries. Those rules, the Saudis said, are just too intrusive.
Administration officials defended the accord against immediate criticism from lawmakers and regional experts. Already on Wednesday, administration officials were arguing that there was nothing to worry about, and that the United States will be so engaged in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear future that there is no way the kingdom could divert its nuclear fuel and know-how to a secret bomb programme. Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed the agreement alongside Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation, while relying on the world’s best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States.
Under the agreement, the United States agreed to retreat from an arrangement that provides for more stringent monitoring and inspections — a diplomatic move that could be potentially disastrous,
said Simon Henderson, the director of the Washington Institute’s Gulf and Energy Policy program. It looks like Washington is accepting an undermining of the international nuclear regime in order to have a commercial deal,
Henderson said, adding that the broader effects of the deal extend to what other countries in the region may seek next. If the Saudis get a deal like this, everybody…
Strategic Motivations Behind the U.S.-Saudi Accord
The agreement follows a years-long effort by successive U.S. administrations to shape civilian nuclear development in the Middle East while preventing proliferation. WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has agreed to work with Saudi Arabia to develop a civilian nuclear program, a watershed moment after a years-long effort to curb the proliferation of nuclear technology in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has long maintained that it would match whatever nuclear capabilities Iran is allowed to maintain. After Iran struck a nuclear deal with world powers in 2015, Saudi Arabia vowed to match whatever nuclear capabilities Tehran was allowed to maintain. In the decade since, U.S. officials have tried to keep Saudi Arabia from developing its own program, fearing it would fuel nuclear competition across the Middle East. But it became a consistent and central point of negotiation between the two allies. Both the Trump and Biden administrations ultimately offered to support a limited, monitored program as part of a broader deal to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, hoping that a diplomatic breakthrough would mitigate the risks of an arms race. At the same time, the White House faced pressure to solidify its strategic alliance with Riyadh amid shifting regional dynamics.
Congressional Review and Regional Fallout
The text of the agreement and its accompanying secret letters are heading to Capitol Hill for congressional review, though overcoming a presidential veto would require a vetoproof majority. The Saudi deal elicited surprise and immediate concern across Washington, where lawmakers are expected to have a vote on the matter, as well as in Israel, a nuclear power that has long feared an atomic arms race could grip the region.
As Washington prepares for legislative battles over the pact, the broader regional impact remains uncertain, particularly regarding how Tehran will respond to nuclear concessions granted to its primary Gulf rival. If the daily missile exchanges with Iran finally give way to resumed negotiations, there is no question Iran will seize on the concessions made to Saudi Arabia and insist on the same.
Sources: reuters.com.
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