President Donald Trump and his administration plan to finalize a massive civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia very soon. However, this new deal leaves out the tough safety rules that Democratic lawmakers desperately wanted. The State Department confirmed these missing details in a recent letter that officials sent directly to Democratic Senator Edward Markey.
The Trump administration started negotiating this nuclear pact last year. Officials want to boost American energy companies and lock down stronger diplomatic ties in the Middle East. Experts estimate the initial project could generate well over $1 billion for American businesses. American contractors desperately want to build these new power plants. They face heavy competition from rival companies in Russia and China. Despite the massive financial benefits, weapons experts feel very nervous about the plan. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman runs the country, and he recently made a bold threat. He promised the world that Saudi Arabia would build a nuclear bomb the exact moment its regional rival, Iran, develops one.
In March, 12 Democratic lawmakers wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They asked Rubio to enforce a strict United Nations protocol. Washington has demanded this specific rule for decades. The protocol gives the International Atomic Energy Agency absolute authority to conduct surprise snap inspections at any hidden facility. Lawmakers want to make sure the Saudi government does not hide secret bomb-making operations.
The State Department finally answered the lawmakers on May 18. Paul Guaglianone, a senior official handling legislative affairs, wrote the response to Senator Markey. Guaglianone revealed that Washington and Riyadh will only sign a basic bilateral safeguards agreement. This basic agreement requires far fewer safety checks than the United Nations protocol.
Lawmakers also pushed Marco Rubio to include the famous gold standard in the Saudi contract. Interestingly, Rubio fully supported this exact standard for Saudi Arabia when he was a senator. The gold standard explicitly bans a foreign country from enriching uranium. It also prevents them from reprocessing nuclear waste. These two specific actions serve as the main pathways a country takes to gather explosive material for nuclear weapons. A regular power plant only needs uranium that engineers enrich to about 3.5-5 percent. A nuclear bomb requires enrichment levels well above 90 percent.
The United States has enforced the gold standard in the Middle East before. The United Arab Emirates agreed to this strict rule back in 2009. They signed the pledge right before they built their very first nuclear power plant. Yet, the recent State Department letter completely ignores the gold standard for the new Saudi deal.
Guaglianone defended the current contract in his letter. He stated the deal builds a solid legal foundation for a partnership that will last for decades. He claims this civil nuclear project helps America reach several important economic and strategic goals.
The White House refused to answer questions about when Donald Trump will actually sign the paperwork. Instead, officials pointed reporters to an old statement from Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Last November, Wright claimed the agreement features a firm commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. A State Department spokesperson also defended the plan. The spokesperson said the draft strictly complies with the law and demonstrates that both nations care deeply about nuclear safety. The Saudi embassy in Washington totally ignored requests for a comment on the matter.
Senator Markey felt furious after reading the State Department letter. He accused the Trump administration of selling out national security just to help private companies make money. Markey pointed out the massive risks of sharing this science with the Middle East.
“Trump is giving nuclear-weapon-wannabe Saudi Arabia nuclear technology without the strongest safeguards,” Markey stated. He noted the irony of the situation, adding that the Trump administration almost started a war with Iran over the same technology.
The proposed agreement currently sits in its final review stage. Once Donald Trump signs the final pages, he must send the paperwork to Congress. Lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representatives will have exactly 90 days to pass resolutions blocking the deal. If Congress fails to act within those 90 days, the agreement becomes federal law. American energy companies will then legally share their nuclear power technology with the Saudi government. Stopping the deal presents a difficult challenge. Opponents would likely need a large majority to overcome a presidential veto.
Henry Sokolski directs the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. He urged Washington officials to demand stricter rules governing uranium enrichment. Sokolski warned lawmakers that nuclear reactors run for 40 to 60 years. He explained that a lot can change over half a century. Sokolski noted that if you let another country manufacture nuclear fuel, you’d better hope that nation stays your good friend forever.
