Trump has approved the civilian nuclear agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia, a US official confirmed to CNN. The deal permits Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium fuel for civilian reactors on its own soil, a provision that has sparked debate over non-proliferation safeguards.
President Donald Trump has officially approved the civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, a US official confirmed to CNN on Wednesday afternoon. The deal permits the kingdom to enrich uranium on its own soil, without the 'gold standard' clause that would have banned enrichment entirely.
This confirmation follows a day of rapid developments. The Wall Street Journal first reported early Wednesday morning (05:16 Jerusalem) that Trump had approved the pact. The New York Times reported at 05:56 that the deal was not conditioned on normalization with Israel. The Zioneer's coverage at 06:38 noted that US companies would build the enrichment facility and that Energy Secretary Chris Wright was expected to sign. Israel Hayom confirmed the details at 07:35, and Reuters at 11:28 reported that the deal omits full IAEA safeguards and the Additional Protocol, leaving Congress roughly 90 days to object.
The agreement is a 30-year framework worth tens of billions of dollars. It decouples nuclear cooperation from normalization with Israel, though the Trump administration has argued that a broader regional peace could follow. Critics — including some Israeli officials and non-proliferation experts — have warned that Saudi enrichment without the most stringent oversight could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
It remains unclear whether Congress will object during the 90-day review period, and whether the lack of the Additional Protocol will be addressed.
6 developments
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom reports new details of Trump-Saudi nuclear deal, confirms uranium enrichment on Saudi soil
- DevelopingZioneer analysis: US-Saudi nuclear deal enables uranium enrichment, risks regional arms race
- DevelopingDraft US-Saudi agreement may allow Saudi uranium enrichment without full international safeguards
- DevelopingAnalyst: Trump-Saudi nuclear deal, if confirmed, is a 'severe blow' to Israel without full normalization
Source and signal
- Internal intake