The United States' deal with Saudi Arabia to help the country build a civilian nuclear program is concerning to many, including U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).
The agreement will allow American companies to run commercial nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia.
However, it does not pass the so-called “gold standard,” which are restrictions the U.S. often puts on countries it makes nuclear deals with to ensure they aren’t building a weapons program.
“So the inspections aren't as tough as we apply to other countries, and we are apparently going to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically,” Murphy said. “That's dangerous in and of itself. It creates a risk of proliferation.”
The 30-year deal has been celebrated by the Trump administration, which said it will be worth billions of dollars for the U.S., expand American nuclear technology exports and create American jobs.
"These agreements reflect our two nations' shared commitment to strengthening U.S.-Saudi commercial relations, delivering prosperity at home and security to our allies abroad," U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.
"Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States,” Wright continued.
Murphy, though, said the timing of the deal is hard to understand as the war in Iran continues.
“We are supposedly conducting a military operation to convince Iran to give up their nuclear program as part of a negotiation,” Murphy said. “But Iran, who perceives Saudi Arabia to be their chief regional enemy, is not going to agree to rigorous inspections if Saudi Arabia isn't subject to inspections.”
The deal is subject to approval from Congress, which has 90 days to consider it.
After the deal was announced, Trump noted that it would be subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. It’s unclear if that will be a dealbreaker for Saudi Arabia.
