Trump approves deal with Saudi Arabia that could allow country to enrich nuclear fuel

President Donald Trump has reportedly approved a landmark agreement with Saudi Arabia that could enable the kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear program, including the potential for domestic uranium enrichment. The 30-year deal is expected to see significant involvement from U.S. firms, such as Westinghouse, in building out Saudi Arabia's nuclear infrastructure following a joint study. This agreement is anticipated to be publicly announced as early as today, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, before being submitted to the U.S. Congress for review.

The proposed deal has sparked concerns among non-proliferation experts and some lawmakers, who worry that allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium could increase the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East. Critics note that the agreement reportedly does not include stringent "Gold Standard" safeguards, which would prohibit the kingdom from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, nor the enhanced monitoring protocols typically required by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Additionally, this agreement notably diverges from the previous administration's approach by not conditioning nuclear cooperation on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel.