Saudi Arabia will be allowed to enrich uranium to nearly 20% under the agreement, Washington Post

The Washington Post reported that under the agreement, Saudi Arabia would be allowed to enrich uranium to approximately 20 percent, while a classified U.S. intelligence assessment found that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out the possibility of developing nuclear weapons. The assessment has fueled concerns in Congress over President Donald Trump’s nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. According to U.S. officials, the assessment was included in classified documents provided to lawmakers during their review of the agreement.

According to the report, the State Department also provided a separate assessment that was more confident in Saudi assurances and the safeguards included in the agreement. The Section 123 agreement, signed in July, provides a legal framework for U.S. companies to participate in $10 billion worth of civilian nuclear projects in Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration says the arrangement will strengthen nuclear nonproliferation standards and prevent Saudi Arabia from turning to Russia or China.

However, the agreement opens a potential pathway for Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically. Enrichment would initially be limited to below 5 percent, but could later be increased to 20 percent following additional studies and written approval from both Washington and Riyadh. The agreement also does not require Saudi Arabia to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, which would give inspectors broader access to detect undeclared nuclear activities.  A group of Democratic senators led by Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday that the agreement could ultimately give Riyadh “the means to enrich uranium and potentially develop nuclear weapons.”

The State Department rejected the suggestion, saying that the United States does not support and will not support a Saudi nuclear weapons program. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul-Aziz bin Salman has insisted that Riyadh’s program will be “peaceful.”  The intelligence assessment adds to longstanding concerns over Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 2018 statement that if Iran acquired nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would do the same. Lawmakers have also compared the Saudi agreement with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, under which Tehran’s uranium enrichment was limited to 3.67 percent for 15 years.  The Saudi agreement was formally submitted to Congress on August 24 and is currently undergoing a 90-day review.