Trump clears U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear deal, official says
The agreement would put U.S. support and American companies behind a nuclear power program inside Saudi Arabia, NBC News reported.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
President Donald Trump has approved a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that is expected to be announced Wednesday, a senior administration official told NBC News.
The deal would have the United States back the creation of a nuclear power program in the kingdom, with American companies building it there, according to the official, who NBC News said was not authorized to speak publicly.
The Wall Street Journal first reported news of the agreement, NBC News said.
Congress gets a say, but blocking it is a tall order
The agreement still has to go before Congress, according to NBC News. Lawmakers would be required to vote on it, but they would need a veto-proof majority to stop it.
That makes the deal politically loaded from the start. Saudi Arabia has long sought nuclear energy capabilities, and NBC News reported that the agreement could open a path for the kingdom to pursue its own uranium enrichment.
That prospect is likely to sharpen worries about nuclear proliferation, NBC News reported. Uranium enrichment can be used for civilian nuclear energy, but it is also a sensitive step because higher levels of enrichment can be tied to weapons programs.
Asked Wednesday about proliferation concerns and reports of the expected deal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would not “reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation,” according to NBC News.
Iran war hangs over the deal
The expected announcement comes during the ongoing war against Iran launched by the United States and Israel, NBC News reported.
Trump has said Tehran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has consistently denied that it plans to build one, according to NBC News.
The Saudi agreement also marks a shift from an earlier U.S. position tied to Israel. NBC News reported that a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia had previously been a U.S. requirement for any deal allowing the kingdom to enrich uranium.
Saudi leaders had insisted that normalization with Israel would not be possible without meaningful progress toward a Palestinian state, according to NBC News.
The deal, if announced as expected, would put one of Washington’s closest Middle East partners on a new nuclear energy track with direct U.S. involvement. It would also hand Congress a high-stakes fight over technology, regional diplomacy and the limits of nuclear cooperation with an ally.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.