Trump Approves Saudi Civilian Nuclear Deal Without Gold Standard Safeguards

President Trump signed a 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that does not require the kingdom to forgo uranium enrichment or reprocessing—a standard the U.S. has demanded from other partners. The deal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal on June 6, 2025, includes a provision for American companies to build a uranium enrichment facility inside Saudi Arabia if a joint study determines it is economically viable. This comes as the U.S. is actively bombing Iran in part to prevent Tehran from enriching uranium, creating a glaring double standard that undermines nonproliferation norms.

The agreement bypasses Congress insofar as it takes the form of a 123 Agreement, which requires a 90-day congressional review period but cannot be amended or vetoed by lawmakers once submitted. Critics across the political spectrum, including nonproliferation experts and some Republican senators, have warned that allowing Saudi enrichment could trigger a regional arms race, with Gulf states like the UAE and Qatar seeking similar concessions. The deal also lacks legally binding IAEA additional protocol requirements that would ensure short-notice inspections.

The timing is particularly volatile: the deal was approved while the administration wages an unauthorized war against Iran under the same logic of preventing a regional nuclear power. For progressives, this is not a mere diplomatic success story but a dangerous precedent that trades nonproliferation safeguards for geopolitical leverage and potential commercial gain for U.S. nuclear vendors.