The Trump administration has reached a preliminary agreement to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its soil for a civilian nuclear energy program, CNN reports. The deal, which has not been signed by President Trump, represents a significant step in the US-Saudi nuclear partnership. It follows reports that the administration had finalized a broader nuclear cooperation agreement without requiring the IAEA's Additional Protocol.
The Trump administration has reached a preliminary agreement to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own soil for a civilian nuclear program, CNN reported Sunday (Jul 19). The agreement, which has not been signed by President Trump or submitted to Congress, appears to be a more specific step than the broader nuclear cooperation deal that CNN reported on Saturday evening (Jul 18, 22:02 Jerusalem). That earlier report stated the administration had finalized a cooperation agreement that includes enrichment but does not require the IAEA's Additional Protocol.
The thread of reporting began Saturday evening with unverified open-source intelligence claims that the administration had tentatively agreed to allow enrichment without safeguards. By the same hour, the Arab Desk reported that the final text of a nuclear cooperation agreement had been prepared. CNN then confirmed the deal's completion, noting it relies on a separate bilateral safeguards pact. The Zioneer published that CNN report Saturday night. Sunday's CNN report adds that a preliminary agreement on enrichment specifically has been reached, indicating that the enrichment component may be treated as a separate stage.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the Trump administration's plan to build ten commercial nuclear reactors by 2030 (Jun 24), and on the simultaneous negotiations with Iran, where the administration has reportedly accepted low-level enrichment on Iranian soil (Jun 15). These developments underscore the administration's willingness to permit enrichment in both Saudi Arabia and Iran, a stance that has drawn criticism from Israeli officials and proliferation experts.
Several key details remain unconfirmed. The preliminary agreement's permitted enrichment level, timeline for implementation, and the nature of safeguards — particularly whether continuous international monitoring will be required — have not been disclosed. The administration has not publicly stated whether the agreement includes measures to prevent the diversion of enriched material to military use. The broader cooperation agreement's text has also not been released.
7 developments
- DevelopingIsrael concerned Trump may settle for diluted uranium, not removal
- DevelopingAnalyst: Trump's Iran deal allows oil exports without sanctions before full agreement is signed
- ConfirmedSenior US official: Deal expected within days, US to receive all enriched uranium
- StrongUS officials release text of imminent Iran deal — uranium stays in Iran, analysts warn
Source and signal
- Internal intake