Saudi Arabia, US advance civil nuclear deal, sidestepping Israeli normalization

Saudi Arabia has yet to agree to limits on uranium enrichment or spent fuel reprocessing — both key to nuclear weapons development.

By i24 News and Algemeiner

The United States and Saudi Arabia are moving toward a landmark agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation, signaling a deepening energy partnership that notably excludes any linkage to Saudi normalization with Israel.

According to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the two countries are nearing a preliminary accord aimed at developing a Saudi civil nuclear program.

Wright, during his first official visit to Riyadh as energy secretary, stated that the two sides are “on the right track” and that further details on the agreement would be disclosed later this year.

The prospective deal represents a significant shift from the Biden administration’s earlier strategy, which sought to tie such an agreement to a broader geopolitical goal: normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

That condition now appears to have been dropped, with the current negotiations focused solely on energy collaboration.

“For a US partnership in the nuclear field here, there will definitely be a 123-type agreement,” Wright told reporters, referencing Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

Such agreements are legally required for the US to export nuclear technology and materials to other countries.

However, key hurdles remain — chief among them, US nonproliferation standards.

According to Wright, Saudi Arabia has yet to agree to restrictions that would prevent uranium enrichment or the reprocessing of spent fuel, two technologies that can be used in the development of nuclear weapons.

This reluctance raises alarms in Washington and beyond.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has publicly stated that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would pursue the same path.

That position, combined with the kingdom’s resistance to strict nonproliferation terms, is heightening concerns among arms control experts and some members of the US Congress.

While the agreement is still in the preliminary stages, it is a key energy alliance in the Gulf while managing nuclear risks in a volatile region.

The memorandum is expected to be finalized later this year.

Until then, the world will be watching closely to see whether this deal sets a new precedent for US nuclear partnerships — or reopens a heated debate on nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.