The United States government has pursued a civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that sets aside longstanding non-proliferation safeguards, according to recent official correspondence and reports. The draft pact, moving toward congressional review, could allow the kingdom to enrich fuel for civilian reactors under weaker oversight than Washington historically demanded.
The Policy Shift and Congressional Review
The diplomatic initiative, advanced under the administration of President Donald Trump, aims to secure a major role for American companies like Westinghouse in constructing nuclear reactors on Saudi territory. According to a State Department letter seen by Reuters, the proposed civil nuclear pact excludes the traditional non-proliferation restrictions that Washington has long maintained are necessary to prevent weaponization.
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. According to the Congressional Research Service, a draft US-Saudi 123 agreement and bilateral safeguards agreement are currently under final review, ahead of presidential approval and submission to Congress. President Trump has approved a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that would last for 30 years and could allow the country to enrich uranium, according to multiple reports. The agreement is not formal yet, as Congress would need to review it.
While administration officials argue that the arrangement will anchor Riyadh to American technology rather than competitors like Russia or China, critics contend the terms concede too much. The deal opens the door for the kingdom to begin enriching its own nuclear fuel after two years, while sidestepping inspection agreements that apply to more than 140 other nations. The White House is expected to submit the final agreement, along with two accompanying secret letters, to Capitol Hill for a formal congressional review process governed by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.
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.
Regional Security Concerns and Inspection Pushback
The agreement has triggered sharp pushback from lawmakers and regional actors who fear destabilizing consequences in the Middle East. Avigdor Lieberman, a member of the Israeli parliament and a former defense minister, warned on social media that "A civilian nuclear program in Saudi Arabia [will] lead to a mad arms race across the entire Middle East."
In the United States, Democratic lawmakers voiced similar alarms. Democratic congressman Ro Khanna of California told the BBC: "The deal really is a giveaway to the Saudis, and it’s only going to fuel further ambitions from Iran. It’s only going to further destabilise the region with Israel," adding that "It’s just not smart policy." Critics, including US Senator Edward Markey, have described the deal as weaker than earlier US positions on nuclear cooperation.
At the center of the inspection debate are Saudi sensitivities regarding international oversight. Saudi Arabia has been reluctant to accept broader nuclear inspections, according to officials familiar with the talks, a position that has sharpened scrutiny of a United States deal that could let the kingdom advance its civil nuclear programme under weaker safeguards than Washington has traditionally demanded.
Energy Demands and Defense of the Agreement
Defending the pact, Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the arrangement reinforces American economic and security ties while maintaining rigorous safety protocols. In a statement posted to social media, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the agreement would boost the American economy and strengthen national security. Wright also said that the US-Saudi pact would "uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation." "Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation," according to statements from the administration.
Trump attended the dignified transfer ceremony for four US service members who were killed in Iran, before holding a rally in Georgia where he argued that his policies were making the Middle East more stable than ever. President Donald Trump and secretary of defence Pete Hegseth salute during a transfer for soldiers killed amid the conflict with Iran, at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, on July 22nd, 2026, according to photographic records from The New York Times.
Sources: bbc.co.uk.
