by Steven Richards
Analysts say the nuclear arrangement, without the most stringent safeguards, could weaken the United States’ longstanding nuclear nonproliferation policies in the region.
As Washington prosecutes a war to end Iran’s nuclear
enrichment capabilities and clandestine weapons program, the U.S.
decision to grant Saudi Arabia a deal to expand its civilian nuclear
industry without strict safeguards could invite the proliferation of
nuclear weapons, analysts say.
Administration officials said Wednesday
that President Donald Trump approved a nuclear agreement with Saudi
Arabia that will provide the country with a civilian nuclear program,
built by U.S. companies.
The deal, known as a 123 Agreement, reportedly leaves the
door open to future enrichment of nuclear material in the kingdom under
U.S. direction and supervision, but without the most stringent
safeguards.
The agreement will face a review from Congress where it may
encounter opposition from lawmakers who have been skeptical in the past
of Saudi Arabia’s nuclear ambitions. In 2019, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio—now
secretary of State—raised concerns about the Trump administration’s decision to approve American companies sharing nuclear technology know-how with the kingdom.
The Biden administration originally conditioned the deal
for nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia on the kingdom normalizing
relations with Israel. Progress on that front was interrupted after
Hamas’ October 2023 attack against Israel and the subsequent war in
Gaza. The Trump administration does not appear to be insisting on
Israeli normalization before entering into a nuclear agreement with
Saudi Arabia.
Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Nonproliferation Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Just the News that the reported terms of the deal would likely weaken U.S. efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
She pointed specifically to the fact that the deal does not
include the so-called “gold standard,” a promise from Saudi Arabia that
it will not enrich uranium at home or reprocess the spent fuel from
nuclear reactors. According to the reports, Saudi Arabia rejected such terms.
Saudi Arabia also reportedly rejected the “Additional
Protocol,” which would allow International Atomic Energy Agency
inspectors broad access to a country’s nuclear sites and the ability to carry out snap inspections at an undisclosed location.
“The reported deal weakens decades of U.S. nonproliferation
standards against spreading uranium enrichment and plutonium
reprocessing capabilities – processes that provide countries with the
means to produce fuel for nuclear weapons,” Stricker said.
“After successfully rolling back Iran's enrichment program
via force, Washington should insist on the gold standard it has with the
United Arab Emirates, which ruled out enrichment and reprocessing and
signed the IAEA's enhanced inspection agreement.”
When the United States signed a similar 123 Agreement in
2009 with Saudi Arabia’s neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, the
country voluntarily agreed to that gold standard and swore off nuclear enrichment.
Earlier this year, while the Trump administration was
negotiating the nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, Democratic Sen. Ed
Markey of Massachusetts and a sponsor of the “No Nuclear Weapons for
Saudi Arabia Act,” said that the United States should insist on the “gold standard” for any civilian cooperation with the kingdom.
“Congress should use its authority to reject this
agreement. Anything less risks transforming the Middle East into a
nuclear Wild West and creating a devastating new nuclear arms race in
the region,” Markey said in a statement.
The White House directed Just the News to a
statement from Energy Secretary Chris Wright. He said on Wednesday that
the agreement will uphold the United States’ longstanding nuclear
nonproliferation standards.
“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,” Wright said. “Thanks to President Trump, the
American nuclear renaissance is underway and will deliver long-term
benefits to the American and Saudi people.”
However, complicating the picture further is the fact that
Saudi leaders have said publicly that if Iran, the kingdom’s chief
regional rival, obtains a nuclear weapon, that they would be forced to
pursue one as well.
“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,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS News in a 2018 interview.
Trump launched strikes alongside Israel in February aimed
at crippling Iran’s military and preventing Tehran from ever obtaining a
nuclear weapon. The two countries also conducted strikes on Iran’s
suspected nuclear sites the prior summer.
The American president insists that the strikes and
subsequent conflict have destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities. It is
not clear whether that assessment impacted the administration’s
willingness to pursue the civilian agreement with Riyadh.
As Secretary Wright said, the administration is relying on a
bilateral agreement with Riyadh for verification measures that will
prevent Saudi Arabia from using nuclear technology for a weapons
program.
The Trump administration notified Congress in March
that the United States will sign a “Bilateral Safeguards Agreement,”
which will include verification measures to “verify the absence of
diversion of nuclear material,” the Arms Control Association reported.
Stricker told Just the News that Washington could
still assist Saudi Arabia with civilian nuclear uses if its rulers agree
to the “gold standard” and rule out enrichment, thus still providing
economic benefits without the proliferation risks.
“The United States can assist Riyadh with other aspects of
the nuclear fuel cycle, including reactors, without lighting off a new
regional race for sensitive nuclear capabilities,” Stricker explained.
Steven Richards
Source: https://justthenews.com/government/security/us-saudi-civilian-nuclear-deal-raises-proliferation-concerns-middle-east
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