Saudi Arabia wins US approval to enrich uranium in landmark deal

The Trump administration has signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that could allow the kingdom to enrich its own uranium, a move that critics say undermines the rationale for the US war with Iran and risks a regional arms race. The deal, announced Wednesday by the US Department of Energy, was signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. It paves the way for US firms like Westinghouse to help build a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom, including a potential uranium enrichment facility after a joint study.

A controversial move amid Iran tensions

The timing of the agreement has drawn sharp criticism, as the United States is currently engaged in a war with Iran, in part to prevent Tehran from enriching uranium domestically. Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, but US officials have argued that enrichment capability brings it closer to a bomb. Now, the US is granting that same technology to its Gulf ally Saudi Arabia. Rosemary Kelanic, head of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities, warned the decision is reckless. “Giving Saudi Arabia uranium enrichment technology is a terrible idea on many counts,” she wrote on social media. “Saudi enrichment would put immense pressure on Iran to get the bomb. Is Trump TRYING to provoke Iran into weaponizing?”

Long-awaited deal with safeguards concerns

The agreement has been under negotiation for years. During the Biden administration, Washington sought to condition Saudi access to enrichment technology on normalizing relations with Israel, a step Riyadh has so far refused. The Trump administration dropped that condition, and the deal now goes to Congress for a 90-day review period. Lawmakers may oppose it due to concerns over inadequate monitoring. Notably, the agreement is unlikely to include the enhanced International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections known as the Additional Protocol, which Iran was subject to under the 2015 nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia has also refused to sign the protocol, raising fears it could divert enriched material for weapons in the future.

Riyadh’s nuclear ambitions and regional dynamics

Saudi officials have long stated that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, the kingdom would seek one as well. The new deal makes it more plausible for Saudi Arabia to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium, even though it claims the program is for civilian energy. Some analysts argue the deal reflects US confidence that Saudi Arabia has matured into a stable nation seeking to diversify its energy mix from oil. But critics counter that the absence of robust safeguards could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. The announcement also comes after months of indirect US-Iran negotiations in Geneva, where the US demanded Iran suspend enrichment for 10 to 20 years; Iran offered only three years. The decision to give Saudi Arabia what Iran was denied is expected to anger Tehran and could harden its position.

Looking ahead

The 30-year deal will now face scrutiny in Congress, where some lawmakers have already voiced opposition. The agreement’s final form may be altered to include stricter monitoring, but the Trump administration appears determined to proceed. If implemented, the deal could reshape nuclear dynamics in the Middle East, potentially forcing Iran to reconsider its own nuclear posture and placing the US in a difficult position as it tries to prevent proliferation while rewarding a key ally.