The United States announced on Wednesday a landmark agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at establishing a civilian nuclear program in the Gulf nation, with Washington emphasizing that the deal incorporates safeguards to prevent nuclear proliferation.
This development occurs amid heightened U.S. tensions with Iran under the Trump administration, which initiated military actions partly rooted in concerns over Tehran’s nuclear activities—an issue central to ongoing, yet stalled, peace negotiations.
Two formal agreements—a “peaceful nuclear cooperation” treaty and a “bilateral safeguards” pact—were executed by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, as confirmed by the U.S. Energy Department.
The full text of the agreements has not yet been disclosed publicly.
According to the department, these accords “establish the legal framework for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership that advances key economic and strategic priorities, including nuclear non-proliferation.”
A provision within the agreement may permit U.S. firms to construct a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia, according to The Wall Street Journal, though the Energy Department has not confirmed this detail or provided further remarks to Agence France-Presse.
