US signs landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia amid arms-race fears

The US-Saudi Arabia nuclear deal, described by Washington as a “peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement”, was signed alongside a separate bilateral safeguards agreement.

The full text of the pact, known as a 123 Agreement, has not been made public. But US media report it could allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium in future — a process that produces fuel for power plants but can also be used to make nuclear weapons.

Experts say that would mark a first for a US civilian nuclear agreement. Unlike a plan drawn up under former president Joe Biden, the deal reportedly does not include an Additional Protocol permitting UN inspectors to carry out snap inspections.

The US Department of Energy said the agreements “lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership”. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who signed the pact with his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, defended its safeguards.

“Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States,” Wright said.

The deal drew immediate criticism. Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on X that President Donald Trump was “letting his best friends in Saudi Arabia” enrich nuclear fuel even as his conflict with Iran continued, calling it “absurd”.

The nuclear question has sat at the centre of the months-long US-Israeli confrontation with Iran, which both nations attacked in February. The agreement will now be submitted for review in Congress.