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US deal could pave the way for Saudi Arabia to acquire nuclear weapons

19 July 2026 01:54 (UTC +04:00)

The administration of US President Donald Trump has tentatively agreed to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium without securing sufficient safeguards to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, APA reports citing CNN.

Experts estimate that the deal, involving Washington's support for the Saudi civil nuclear program, could potentially pave the way for the kingdom to acquire nuclear weapons unless strict verification mechanisms are put in place. According to CNN sources, earlier this year, the Trump administration briefed some members of Congress on the agreement's contents, which were expected to include a special provision allowing for some degree of uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement includes some restrictions, but what exactly they will be is still unclear. The draft document does not obligate the kingdom to sign an additional protocol to the safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, CNN emphasizes. One of the network's sources called such an agreement unprecedented.