According to a report by the American 'Politico News Network' on July 22, after the United States reached a new nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, several members of both parties in Congress warned that this agreement could undermine the United States' long-held policy of nuclear non-proliferation and lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on the 22nd that the United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement and corresponding bilateral safeguard measures agreements. The agreement is for a period of 30 years, involving American companies in the construction of Saudi civil nuclear projects, with an estimated value of several billion dollars.
One key arrangement of the agreement is that the US and Saudi Arabia will jointly study the feasibility of conducting uranium enrichment activities in Saudi Arabia. If both parties deem the conditions ripe, American companies may be involved in building the related facilities. Critics believe that although the agreement emphasizes the peaceful use of nuclear energy, allowing Saudi Arabia to have uranium enrichment capabilities in the future could alter the strategic balance in the region.
"Any event in Jeddah will have a reaction in Tehran," said Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. Republican Senator John Kennedy also warned that the arrangement could trigger broader nuclear proliferation risks.
For a long time, the United States has adhered to the so-called "gold standard" in nuclear cooperation, requiring partners to abandon domestic uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing capabilities. In 2009, when the United States signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with the UAE, Abu Dhabi promised not to carry out such activities.
Critics believe that the Trump administration’s relaxation of restrictions on Saudi Arabia may open the “Pandora box.” Andrea Strick, an expert on nuclear proliferation issues in the United States, said that if the United States allows Saudi Arabia to acquire relevant capabilities first, it could prompt regional countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Oman to demand similar treatment.
In the face of external doubts, the U.S. government defended the agreement. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated that the United States “will not reach an agreement with any country in the world that could lead to nuclear proliferation risks.” U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry also said that the U.S-Israel nuclear agreement “meets the highest standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation requirements.”
