Nuclear deal: Is Trump helping the Saudis get the bomb?

What did the USA and Saudi Arabia agree on?

Both states signed a deal on Wednesday “civil nuclear agreement”. It enables Saudi Arabia in the future US technology in nuclear reactors to use and import radioactive material from the USA.

The exact text is not public, nor is that of one bilateral security agreement and two “Cover letters“, which were signed at the same time. US media are already quoting insiders, according to whom the agreements could even allow Saudi Arabia to have its own in the medium term Nuclear enrichment facility to build.

Why is this causing so much excitement?

Because the USA has so far only granted its partners access to its nuclear technology if they undertake not to enrich themselves and carry out spontaneous controls International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to accept. Like that United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2009. Saudi Arabia has rejected both for years.

Apparently they only agreed to carry out a joint study with the USA to see whether there was one own fuel production economically worthwhile in Saudi Arabia – after two years the country could then become enriched.

Why does Trump agree to this?

On the one hand, the agreement has an economic dimension: The US-Atomindustrie billions in revenue await.

Politically, the deal helps to draw Saudi Arabia closer to the USA again. The kingdom is one of the closest US partners in the Middle East. But the relationship has recently suffered greatly under the US-Israeli regime War against Iranwhich resulted in Iranian counterattacks on Saudi Arabia.

How great is the risk that Saudi Arabia will develop a nuclear bomb?

That is the crucial question. Nuclear expert James Acton of the Carnegie Foundation keeps it in the New York Times It is possible that the royal family could one day nationalize enrichment facilities in order to obtain material for a bomb.

Reuters On the other hand, cites insiders, according to whom the contracts should contain “safety precautions” that prevent enrichment to weapons-grade levels.

Wasn’t Iran attacked precisely because the regime had enriched weapons-grade uranium?

The contradiction is obvious: the USA is waging a war against Iran in order to force precisely the concessions in its nuclear program that it is now not demanding from Saudi Arabia, the only partner in the world. If negotiations with the Iranian leadership take place again, they will certainly demand the same conditions.

How do other Gulf states react?

Die FEET had contractually agreed for exactly this scenario in their nuclear deal with the USA in 2009.The consultation“ have assurances that they can demand as soon as a neighboring country gets “better conditions”.

The deal with the Saudis could set a precedent and trigger a chain reaction in the Middle East, which would end up with several nuclear powers facing each other in this fragile region.

What does all this have to do with Israel?

Already under Joe Biden The US had negotiated a nuclear deal with the Saudis on the condition that the kingdom diplomatic relations with Israel established. The Iran war has made this impossible without incurring the wrath of the Saudi population, the royal family told the Trump administration – and so the demand is said to have been removed from the agreement.