"Trump Approves Agreement 'Potentially Allowing' Uranium Enrichment for Saudi Arabia"

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 21st (local time) that U.S. President Donald Trump has officially approved a "monumental" agreement that potentially allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium.

Citing U.S. officials, the newspaper reported that the nuclear agreement (known as a 123 Agreement) includes a provision for U.S. companies to build uranium enrichment facilities on Saudi territory if feasibility is proven through "joint research between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia."

It is extremely rare for the United States to permit spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment through a nuclear agreement, with such permissions limited to major European nations such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as well as Japan, under the condition of strict and intensive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The WSJ explained that the agreement, which will remain in place for the next 30 years, is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars and is designed so that U.S. companies will play a core role while foreign firms are excluded.

It added that President Trump gave his final approval late last week, and the signing of the agreement is taking place with the energy ministers of both countries in attendance on the 22nd.

U.S. officials argue that through this, the United States can secure influence over Saudi Arabia's nuclear program and prevent it from being misused for military purposes, according to the newspaper.

The agreement is scheduled to be submitted for congressional review within days, and it is expected to spark significant controversy as it could trigger a nuclear development race in the already militarily volatile Middle East.

The WSJ reported, "Lawmakers are expected to find it difficult to block the agreement," noting that it would require passing a joint resolution in both the House and the Senate along with a two-thirds majority vote to overcome a potential presidential veto.

Regarding this, Reuters reported on the 22nd that the energy ministers of both countries have already signed the agreement, and the Trump administration will submit the nuclear agreement sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia to Congress within days.

At the same time, it pointed out that "safeguards are not included in the agreement," while noting that the U.S. government has maintained that safeguards prevent nuclear materials from being diverted into nuclear weapons programs.

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.