White House ready to authorize Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium - report
According to CNN, the text would not require Riyadh to adopt the strengthened control mechanisms of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
The Trump administration has given its approval, in principle, to an unprecedented nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia. According to the report by CNN, this would allow the kingdom to enrich uranium on its own territory as part of its civil nuclear program. The draft agreement, to which negotiations concluded in October 2025, is still awaiting the signature of US President Donald Trump.
The text would not require Riyadh to adopt the strengthened control mechanisms of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), considered the international standard for non-proliferation. The supervision procedures would be defined solely between Washington and Riyadh, raising concerns among several American officials.
The project also provides that Saudi Arabia may eventually be able to enrich uranium and reprocess plutonium, two technologies that can be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. This prospect fuels fears that the kingdom may be getting closer to acquiring the capabilities needed to produce an atomic weapon.
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The signing of the agreement was delayed for nearly a year, notably due to the risk of bipartisan opposition in the US Congress, whose approval is required. The war against Iran is also believed to have contributed to postponing its finalization.
Saudi Arabia has been seeking for several years to develop a civilian nuclear program. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had already warned that if Iran obtained nuclear weapons, his country would also seek to acquire them.