Washington plans to announce nuclear agreement with Riyadh, US media reports

The United States plans to announce an agreement with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that would give the country a civilian nuclear programme, according to media reports, amid renewed fighting between the Gulf oil giant and Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Citing two unnamed US officials, the New York Times reported on Tuesday the Trump administration plans to formally sign and announce the deal with the Saudis on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump’s administration said the deal will provide billions of dollars for the US nuclear industry.

A provision in the deal, which would last 30 years, would have American companies build a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia if a joint study determined it warranted, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The deal is expected to be submitted to Congress in the coming days, but their approval is not required for it to go through.

Two sources also told Reuters that the Trump administration plans to submit the agreement to Congress. The sources said the administration would submit to Congress within days a document known as a 123 Agreement that will be signed by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman.

The two signed a preliminary agreement in Riyadh last year.

The agreement refers to Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and is required to permit the US government and American companies to work with entities in the kingdom to develop a multibillion-dollar civil nuclear industry.

The agreement does not include the “Gold Standard” that would block the kingdom from enriching uranium and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, both of which are potential pathways to nuclear weapons, said the sources familiar with the agreement.

The agreement also does not include the “Additional Protocol” which grants the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency broad and more intrusive oversight of a country’s nuclear activities, such as the power to carry out snap inspections at undeclared locations, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues.

One of the sources said the administration would submit the agreement as soon as Wednesday and another said it would be submitted in a week or so. A third who did not say whether the agreement lacks safeguards said it would be submitted soon.

Wright had said the preliminary agreement was not about enrichment and contained all the nonproliferation standards in the Atomic Energy Act, which are among the strongest in the world.

One of the sources said the agreement provides a legal pathway for cooperation on the nuclear fuel cycle, which includes uranium enrichment, but does not obligate the United States to transfer any related capabilities or technology to Saudi Arabia.

Proliferation concerns

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has long said if Iran developed a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would too, fueling concern among arms control advocates and some US lawmakers over a civil nuclear deal.

The crown prince told CBS in 2018 that “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible”.

The kingdom has also said it wants to reserve the right to enrich uranium.

The United Arab Emirates agreed to the “Gold Standard” in 2009 when it signed a 123 Agreement with Washington.

Once 123 agreements are submitted to Congress, they go into a review period of about 90 days of continuous congressional sessions for lawmakers to object, or they go into force.

To block the agreement, Congress would need to pass a joint resolution and have a two-thirds majority to override any presidential veto.

Many Democrats and some Republicans, including President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he served in the Senate, have insisted any agreement include guardrails. ...