US and Saudi Arabia Sign Nuclear Cooperation Agreement Valued in Billions
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that the United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a nuclear cooperation agreement and a bilateral assurances pact. This announcement comes via Al Mayadeen, citing Reuters, and was reported by Mehr News Agency.
The U.S. Department of Energy stated that these two agreements provide the legal basis for a long-term partnership between the two countries, estimated by Washington to be worth billions of dollars and expected to last for several decades. The department also indicated that these accords with Saudi Arabia are aimed at achieving economic and strategic objectives, including the reinforcement of the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
The confirmation of this agreement follows reports from CNN earlier this week, which, citing informed sources and documents, revealed that the administration of President Donald Trump had initially agreed to uranium enrichment on Saudi Arabian soil. This approach would exempt Riyadh from implementing certain enhanced international safeguards designed to prevent the development of nuclear weapons. CNN further reported that the draft agreement, outlining Washington’s support for Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program, remains awaiting final presidential signature, despite negotiations concluding in October 2025.
The draft agreement, as per the report, would not obligate Saudi Arabia to accept and implement the Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which grants broader inspection and verification powers to the agency. Instead, the assurances stipulated in this agreement would be exclusively confined to a bilateral pact between Washington and Riyadh, rather than relying on the IAEA’s Additional Protocol.
In a separate development, The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump has declared his final approval for a major, long-term nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, marking a notable shift from his previous assertions. This 30-year agreement, projected to funnel billions of dollars to American contracting firms, will effectively bring Riyadh closer to the group of nations possessing uranium enrichment capabilities.
The report indicates that U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman have been tasked with signing the accord, which effectively positions the “civilian nuclear” aspect as a cover for the development of sensitive technologies. Washington maintains that this oversight will prevent military use. However, strategic affairs experts suggest this move represents another step towards “nuclear chaos” in West Asia and an effort to counter Iran’s defensive capabilities.
