The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement on Wednesday that could pave the way for the kingdom to develop uranium enrichment capabilities for its civilian nuclear program.U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the agreement, known as the 123 agreement, and what the Trump administration calls a bilateral safeguards agreement.Although the administration has revealed few details, the framework is expected to allow the United States and Saudi Arabia to conduct joint studies on building a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia. The agreement is expected to be valid for 30 years and invites U.S. companies to participate in the development of the plan.“These agreements reflect our two countries’ shared commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Saudi commercial relationship, achieving prosperity at home and the security of our allies abroad,” Wright said.“Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear security and nonproliferation while relying on American-engineered nuclear technology and scientists, the best in the world,” he added.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the deal, rejecting concerns it could fuel nuclear proliferation in the region.“The United States will not enter into any agreement with any country in the world that creates a proliferation risk,” Rubio said.The deal will now go before the U.S. Congress for review and is likely to face opposition from lawmakers concerned that allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium could ultimately increase the risk of nuclear weapons development.The news comes as the United States and Israel continue military action against Iran, with Washington insisting Tehran’s uranium enrichment program could enable it to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran denies this and insists its program is for peaceful purposes.
