President Donald Trump has sent the civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress on Monday for review.
A U.S. official confirmed the submission of the classified document and stated that the Department of Energy-led agreement aigns with the Atomic Energy Act. The official further clarified that the agreement’s progression depends on Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Abraham Accords, reported MS Now on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal had first reported on the Saudi Nuclear deal’s formal submission to Congress.
Congress now has 90 days to review the agreement under the Atomic Energy Act. If no objections are raised, the agreement will be implemented. The Atomic Energy Act necessitates such a review when the U.S. collaborates with foreign nations on civilian nuclear power development. The agreement can take effect automatically unless Congress formally rejects it through a joint resolution during the review period.
Department of Energy did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Expert Warns Of Nuclear ‘Slippery Slope’
Erin Dumbacher, a Stanton nuclear security senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, cautioned that this agreement diverges from the U.S.’s traditional strict nonproliferation measures.
“It becomes a slippery slope toward more countries having nuclear material without the measures that have kept the total number of countries with nuclear weapons to only nine,” Dumbacher told CNBC as she voiced concerns about the potential risks of unchecked nuclear material worldwide.
Saudi-Israel Normalization Faces Hurdle
This move follows Trump’s sanctioning of a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia in July, which could potentially equip the kingdom with uranium enrichment capabilities for its civilian nuclear program. The deal, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, could pave the way for a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia after a joint U.S.-Saudi study. The agreement is set to last 30 years.
Trump said the U.S.-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement would bar Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium and that the deal would only move forward if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords and normalizes relations with Israel.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has ruled out normalizing relations with Israel without recognition of an independent Palestinian state, a position that has strengthened since the Gaza war began in 2023.
Senators Raise Concerns Over Nuclear Deal
This agreement has sparked concerns among U.S. senators. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) warned that this could weaken U.S. leverage in negotiations with Iran and increase the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
Similarly, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) expressed doubts about the timing of the deal, stating that pushing for a nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia while the U.S. is still engaged in conflict with Iran sends a mixed and contradictory signal about American policy in the region.
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