Washington (Somalia Today) – President Donald Trump has formally notified the US Congress that he is pursuing a civilian nuclear cooperation pact with Saudi Arabia that would not include the strict non-proliferation safeguards long demanded by Washington, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.
The move signals a sharp shift in US policy toward the already tense Middle East, dropping the so-called “gold standard” terms that would legally bind the kingdom in ways meant to reduce any pathway toward a nuclear weapon.
An initial report sent to congressional leaders and cited by the Arms Control Association (ACA) says the draft “123 Agreement” would put US companies at the core of Saudi Arabia’s growing nuclear sector.
But the framework also appears to leave space for a domestic Saudi uranium enrichment program, a long-standing red line for non-proliferation advocates.
Guardrails dropped
The notification indicates the administration will not require Riyadh to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “Additional Protocol.”
That protocol is a key UN safeguard that gives international inspectors broader authority, including the ability to carry out short-notice inspections at undeclared sites.
The document also does not require Saudi Arabia to renounce domestic uranium enrichment or the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, two sensitive capabilities that can provide routes to weapons-usable material.
Instead, the draft broadly refers to “additional safeguards and verification measures” for sensitive areas of cooperation, without specifying specific restrictions.
“The report raises concerns that the Trump administration has not carefully considered the proliferation risks posed by its proposed nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, or the precedent this agreement may set,” Kelsey Davenport, the ACA’s head of nonproliferation policy, said Thursday.
Regional arms race
The disclosure comes as the global arms-control framework continues to weaken.
On February 5, the New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired, ending the last legally binding limits on the world’s two largest strategic nuclear arsenals.
The lapse has intensified fears of a wider arms race, as China also rapidly expands its stockpile.
In the Middle East, the stakes are especially high.
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has openly tied the kingdom’s nuclear posture to Iran, its regional rival.
“If they get one, we have to get one,” he told Fox News in 2023, saying Riyadh would need such a capability for “balancing power in the Middle East.”
Saudi officials insist the program is peaceful and aimed at diversifying the oil-dependent economy. The kingdom has outlined plans to build up to 16 nuclear power reactors over the next two decades to support its domestic grid.
Bipartisan backlash
By pursuing a looser pact, the Trump administration risks a direct confrontation with lawmakers in both parties.
For years, Democrats and some prominent Republicans have pushed for “gold standard” terms modeled on the 2009 US-United Arab Emirates agreement, under which Abu Dhabi voluntarily renounced domestic enrichment.
The current approach also runs counter to the past stance of Trump’s own Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
As a senator in 2019, Rubio co-sponsored bipartisan legislation designed to strengthen congressional oversight of any Saudi nuclear deal, citing proliferation concerns.
Successive US administrations, including former president Joe Biden’s, struggled to finalize negotiations with Riyadh largely because Saudi Arabia refused to give up its right to enrich uranium.
Congressional showdown
The White House, the State Department, and the Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Under the Atomic Energy Act, the administration could submit the final 123 Agreement to Congress as early as February 22.
That would start a 90-day review window. Unless both the House and Senate pass joint resolutions to block it, the agreement would automatically take effect.
Davenport urged lawmakers to closely scrutinize the terms, warning that a permissive US-Saudi deal could encourage other countries to seek similar treatment and weaken the broader non-proliferation regime.
“It behooves Congress to provide a check on the administration,” Davenport wrote.
