US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Proliferation Fears as Enrichment Left Open

The historic civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement signed between the United States and Saudi Arabia this week has raised serious alarms among nuclear nonproliferation experts, who warn that the deal leaves the door open to uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia without the rigorous oversight typically required to prevent weapons development.

What the Deal Does — and Does Not — Include

According to US officials, Saudi Arabia managed to secure two significant concessions in negotiations. First, the agreement does not require Riyadh to foreswear uranium enrichment — instead establishing a two-year study period to examine the commercial viability of domestic enrichment. Second, the Saudis rejected the “Additional Protocol,” a legal agreement that grants the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expanded inspection and monitoring authority beyond standard safeguards.

President Trump complicated matters further by posting on social media that the deal was “totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords” — a condition not actually in the signed agreement, sources told ABC News. He also wrote that there would be “no enrichment of material,” which similarly does not reflect the deal's actual terms.

Expert Alarm

Former US Ambassador to the IAEA Kenneth Brill called Saudi resistance to expanded inspections “a red flag,” adding: “The U.S. should never have agreed to enrichment without a really strong inspections regime with the IAEA.” Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute said Saudi reluctance to accept the Additional Protocol “rather suggests the Saudis have got something to hide.” Former State Department official Richard Nephew warned that linking Saudi enrichment capabilities to Israeli normalization “adds more complexity” that may be difficult to resolve.

Administration Defense and Congressional Reaction

Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted any agreement would include “safeguards in place to ensure that it can't be turned into a weapons program.” The IAEA confirmed it is aware of plans to request its review of the safeguards agreement. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, called for reviewing the agreement's details, noting he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have previously agreed that an appropriate nuclear deal would benefit both countries. Members of Congress from both parties have long insisted any Saudi deal should include a “gold standard” commitment to forgo enrichment entirely.