US signs nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia

The United States has signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that could open the door for American companies to build and supply nuclear power projects in the kingdom, while raising questions in Congress over uranium enrichment and nuclear oversight.

The US Department of Energy announced Wednesday that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a “peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement” and an accompanying “bilateral safeguards agreement.” The department described the package as a “historic” and “decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership” that will now be sent to Congress for review.

The agreement is an accord under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, known as a 123 agreement, the department said. NPR reported, citing an administration memo it reviewed, that Congress has 90 days to consider the deal.

The Energy Department said the partnership is expected to expand US nuclear technology exports, create “high-paying” American jobs and strengthen US energy and national security. It said US companies will provide nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia and that the agreement will help meet Saudi energy needs.

“These agreements reflect our two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening US-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad,” Wright said in a statement. “Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world’s best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States.”

The full details of the agreement have not been released. Some US media reports have suggested it could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically rather than import nuclear fuel from the United States, Al Jazeera reported. The Guardian reported that the deal could potentially allow the kingdom to enrich uranium.

NPR reported that the administration memo it reviewed said the agreement does not include provisions known as the “gold standard,” which would prohibit Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium and reprocessing nuclear fuel. NPR also reported that the memo says the deal does not require Saudi Arabia to accept terms that would bring greater oversight from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The memo says the United States does not support a Saudi nuclear weapons program and that the agreement is limited to peaceful nuclear energy cooperation, NPR reported. It also says the agreement includes nonproliferation terms under the Atomic Energy Act and provides a legal pathway for cooperation on the nuclear fuel cycle, but does not obligate the United States to transfer fuel cycle capabilities or technologies to Saudi Arabia.

The possible absence of stricter limits is likely to draw scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about monitoring and proliferation risks. “Congress should approve only if the deal has the same gold-standard safeguards as our deal with the UAE,” Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, posted on X before the agreement was announced. “A President waging war to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East should not facilitate proliferation just because U.S. companies stand to make a profit.”

Matthew Bunn, a nuclear proliferation expert at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, told NPR’s All Things Considered that the Saudi agreement could complicate diplomacy with Iran. “I think it may make negotiating a reasonable deal with Iran more difficult,” he said.

The announcement comes as the United States remains involved in conflict with Iran over uranium enrichment and nuclear weapons concerns. The Guardian reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, and that he appeared before the Senate a day earlier to seek additional funding. Al Jazeera reported that the US-Israel war on Iran is continuing and that Iran has launched missiles and drones against bases hosting US troops in the region, as well as some Gulf energy facilities.

Dan Sumner, chief executive of Westinghouse Electric Company, an American nuclear reactor company expected to support Saudi nuclear development, told CBS the announcement was “a landmark step that strengthens energy security, expands opportunities for US industry and workers, and drives significant long-term economic growth and investment benefits for both countries.”