Will Saudi Arabia now build nuclear bombs? What to know about Trump’s historic deal with Riyadh

In a significant development, US President Donald Trump has approved an agreement with Saudi Arabia that could potentially provide the kingdom with uranium enrichment capability for its civilian nuclear program, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Nuclear deal is expected to last 30 years

The people, who were not authorised to comment publicly about the yet to be formally announced decision, told AP that the agreement is expected to be announced publicly as early as Wednesday. The deal is expected to last 30 years and is also expected to involve US firms in developing the program. The deal could allow for the building of a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia following a joint US-Saudi study.

But the deal, which is expected to be submitted to Congress for review, could face headwinds among lawmakers who fear that helping the Saudis fulfill their long-standing desire to enrich their own uranium would open new rounds of nuclear proliferation and competition.

Will Saudi Arabia now build nuclear bombs?

Does the US nuclear deal mean Saudi Arabia can now build a nuclear bomb? The answer is no. But the agreement does mark a major shift in US policy towards nuclear cooperation in one of the world’s most volatile regions.

Saudi Arabia is a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a Vienna-based agency which promotes peaceful nuclear work but also inspects nations to ensure they don’t have clandestine atomic weapons programs.

But the agreement is not expected to include the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which would allow for more monitoring, inspections and verification, according to one of the people. The expected announcement comes in the midst of the war against Iran launched by the US and Israel, in part, to wipe out Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has insisted its nuclear enrichment program is peaceful.

Know all about civil nuclear deal?

A civilian nuclear agreement is a government-to-government framework that allows countries to cooperate on peaceful nuclear energy.

Such agreements typically cover:

• Construction of nuclear power plants
• Supply of nuclear fuel
• Transfer of reactor technology
• Nuclear safety and security standards
• Training of scientists and engineers
• Radioactive waste management
• International inspections and safeguards

The White House and Saudi officials in Riyadh did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision, which was first reported on by The Wall Street Journal. Both Trump and former President Joe Biden tried to reach a nuclear deal with the kingdom to share American technology.

But nonproliferation experts warn any spinning centrifuges within Saudi Arabia could open the door to a possible weapons program for the kingdom, something its assertive de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has suggested he could pursue if Tehran obtains an atomic bomb.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright travelled to Saudi Arabia last year shortly before Trump visited the kingdom and discussed building out the kingdom’s commercial nuclear power industry with his Saudi counterpart.

Already, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact after Israel launched an attack on Qatar targeting Hamas officials. Pakistan’s defense minister then said his nation’s nuclear program “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if needed, something seen as a warning for Israel, long believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed state.

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