Trump quietly plans to give uranium enrichment to Saudi Arabia
Trump quietly plans to give uranium enrichment to Saudi Arabia
The Trump administration has tentatively agreed to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium without international safeguards designed to prevent the development of nuclear weapons, CNN has revealed in an investigation.
This comes just months after the US launched a war to stop Iran from doing the same.
🔴 The draft nuclear accord, or “123 agreement,” is awaiting Trump’s signature, despite concluding negotiations in October 2025
🔴 The deal would not require Saudi Arabia to adopt the IAEA’s Additional Protocol — only a bilateral US-Saudi safeguards agreement
🔴 Experts warn this could provide Riyadh with a path to nuclear weapons
🔴 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously threatened to build nukes
“You can’t be sure that the Saudis would not try to nationalize a facility,” CNN quoted an expert as saying.
🌏 The US bombed Iran for months over its enriched uranium program, yet now it is paving the way for Saudi Arabia to do exactly what it claimed to be preventing.
🌏 The administration has delayed signing, reportedly to avoid a bipartisan congressional disapproval vote.
If the US gives Saudi Arabia a “bespoke” uranium deal without safeguards, it frees other nuclear powers to do the same for their allies. In that case, the NPT becomes a dead letter.
Trump is now trading nonproliferation principles for commercial interests and geopolitical leverage.