President Donald Trump has approved a 30-year agreement with Saudi Arabia that could allow the kingdom to develop uranium enrichment capability, according to the Associated Press, citing two people familiar with the matter. The deal, expected to be announced as early as Wednesday, would involve US companies in building Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program and could include a uranium enrichment facility after a joint US-Saudi study.
A landmark commercial opening
The arrangement, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is valued at tens of billions of dollars and gives American firms a central role in Saudi nuclear development, though the bulk of revenue is expected over decades rather than immediately. Both Trump and former President Joe Biden had previously sought a nuclear technology-sharing deal with Riyadh, highlighting the long-standing effort to reach such an accord.
Proliferation risks and regional context
Nonproliferation experts warn that any enrichment capability in Saudi Arabia could open the door to a weapons program, a concern sharpened by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's past comments about matching Iran's nuclear capability. Saudi Arabia has also signed a mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan, whose defense minister said Pakistan's nuclear program would be made available to the kingdom if needed.
The approval comes as the US continues strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, with Trump threatening further action against Iran's fortified Pickaxe Mountain site. The timing places Saudi enrichment ambitions directly alongside an active US military campaign against Iran's own nuclear program, adding a new dimension to the regional nuclear contest.