Media: Saudi Arabia may be able to enrich uranium on its territory

According to Reuters, the Trump administration has notified Congress that it is preparing a so-called “123 agreement” (under Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act), which critics say weakens traditional nonproliferation safeguards, which include a ban on uranium enrichment and on-site spent fuel reprocessing, as well as a requirement to join the IAEA Additional Protocol, which expands the agency’s inspection powers.

Nonproliferation experts warn that any enrichment infrastructure – even in a “limited” form – means centrifuges and supply chains that could theoretically become the basis for a military program. The publications recall that Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman previously admitted that if Iran receives a nuclear bomb, Saudi Arabia may follow the same path.

According to Reuters, the US administration may officially submit the text of the agreement to Congress by February 22. Next, legislators will have 90 days to try to block it – otherwise the document will come into force automatically.

As AP notes, the topic of nuclear cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia has been discussed for a long time: under both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, attempts were made to agree on Riyadh’s access to American technology and US participation in the Saudi civilian nuclear program – but the issue of uranium enrichment remained a key stumbling block.

In the US Congress, some Democrats and Republicans are already saying that an agreement without strict restrictions could create a dangerous precedent and increase the risk of a regional nuclear race in the Middle East.