Nonproliferation Experts Demand Congress Block Trump‑Saudi Nuclear Accord

Nonproliferation experts are raising alarms after Reuters reported that the Trump administration plans to ask Congress to approve a deal that could allow Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear weapons.

According to Reuters, the proposed agreement would enable the United States to share nuclear power technology with the Saudis without safeguards that would prevent the material from being used in weapons programs.

Reuters’s sources say the deal lacks the “gold standard” that would bar the kingdom from enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel—both pathways to nuclear weapons.

Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, warned on Tuesday that the reported agreement sets a terrible precedent because it contradicts long‑standing bipartisan support for nuclear cooperation agreements that prohibit enrichment and reprocessing. She added that if the deal is inadequate, Congress should vote to disapprove it.

Andrea Stricker of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation Program said Congress should block the deal, warning it could prompt other regional states to seek nuclear weapons. If Congress fails to act, she hopes a future administration will reverse the policy before safeguards are weakened and negative precedents are set.

James Acton of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Nuclear Policy Program called the reported Saudi nuclear deal tantamount to the United States giving up on nonproliferation. He noted that Saudi officials are open about a potential interest in nuclear weapons and that the United States should not facilitate enrichment or reprocessing in the Kingdom.

Emma Ashford of the Stimson Center agreed, noting the irony of the Trump administration bombing Iran to prevent enrichment while potentially providing it to the Saudis. She said the agreement would mark the end of U.S. efforts to curb nuclear proliferation.

Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities called the deal a terrible idea that violates decades of U.S. policy against giving enrichment technology to a country that does not already possess it. She warned that uranium enrichment would give Saudi Arabia leverage to extract future concessions from Washington, including enhanced security guarantees, by threatening to weaponize its program.

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D‑NY), the ranking member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, expressed deep concerns, saying the deal would erode existing nonproliferation standards. He emphasized that any agreement must include limits on enrichment and reprocessing, as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol.

-Common Dreams

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