▲ U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
U.S. President Donald Trump has submitted a nuclear agreement (Section 123 Agreement) with Saudi Arabia to Congress, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other outlets reported on the 25th local time.
Under U.S. law, a nuclear agreement with a foreign country takes effect automatically unless objections are raised within 90 session days.
The U.S.-Saudi nuclear agreement serves as a fundamental condition for building nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia, but it has sparked controversy by opening the door to uranium enrichment activities on Saudi soil.
If the agreement passes through Congress and takes final effect, the two countries will undergo a two-year commercial feasibility study, after which U.S. companies will be allowed to build uranium enrichment facilities within Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is also known to be rejecting the Additional Protocol, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) strongest safeguards measure.
Andrea Stricker, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), warned the WSJ, "Congress should oppose an agreement that paves the way for uranium enrichment on Saudi soil," adding, "Even if it is a U.S.-operated plant, this would end decades of U.S. nonproliferation policy aimed at preventing the spread of sensitive nuclear fuel production technology."
Criticism has also been directed at a perceived double standard, noting that while the U.S. has gone as far as waging war under the pretext of curbing Iran's nuclear program, it is permitting Saudi Arabia—the foundational groundwork for nuclear development—to engage in uranium enrichment.
Even if members of the U.S. Congress oppose it, blocking the agreement is expected to be difficult.
To thwart the agreement, a joint resolution of both houses capable of overriding the president's veto and a two-thirds majority vote are required, which is nearly impossible given the current composition of the U.S. Congress.
Saudi Arabia's joining of the Abraham Accords—establishing diplomatic ties with Israel—which President Trump demanded as a price for approving the nuclear agreement, is another stumbling block to its implementation.
President Trump announced this condition only after the governments of both countries signed the agreement last month.
A U.S. administration official stated, "The president's stance remains unchanged that the nuclear agreement will only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords."
During the Joe Biden administration, Saudi Arabia sought to normalize relations with Israel on the condition of signing a mutual defense treaty and a nuclear agreement with the U.S., but withdrew those efforts following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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