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US Journey with Trump Suggests Potential Collaboration in Nuclear Matters with Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia seeks American aid in establishing a domestic nuclear energy program, with the Trump administration expressing significant enthusiasm for the possibility.

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6 min read
U.S. aid sought by Saudi Arabia for establishments of their nuclear civil projects, with the Trump...
U.S. aid sought by Saudi Arabia for establishments of their nuclear civil projects, with the Trump administration expressing substantial enthusiasm towards the prospect.

US Journey with Trump Suggests Potential Collaboration in Nuclear Matters with Saudi Arabia

Bold and Brash: The U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Dance

WASHINGTON (AP) - Riyadh is hankering for American help in launching its very own civil nuclear program, and the Trump administration can't help but get a thrill at the possibility. U.S.-Saudi cooperation in establishing atomic power plants in the kingdom could crystalize American interests and keep competitors such as China and Russia at bay.

But there's a catch: not everyone is excited about the prospect of helping the Saudis enrich their own uranium as part of this partnership. Fears abound about the repercussions of nuclear proliferation and heightened competition. Saudi Arabia's aspiration to clasp a nuclear agreement amplifies the ongoing security negotiations between the U.S., Iran, and Israel.

The US is more than ready to demonstrate its prowess in Saudi Arabia's nuclear ambitions

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who paid a visit to Saudi Arabia before President Donald Trump's upcoming trip, announced that the global community can expect significant developments this year in facilitating the kingdom's pursuit of a commercial nuclear power industry. Wright effused that the U.S. is eager about it.

Whether these strides take form during Trump's visit remains to be seen, according to Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Instead, it's possible that something smaller and still signal to the Saudis—and the Iranians—that Washington is vigilant and interested in their nuclear aspirations could be the Obama administration's objective for the time being.

Saudi Arabia's Cry for Cleaner Energy

Despite being an oil titan, Saudi Arabia is mostly a desert wasteland. Running all those air conditioners gulps up a significant amount of petroleum that the country would rather be selling overseas. Saudi consumption of its own oil eats up one-third of its production.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also pushing for the expansion of Saudi Arabia's mineral mining and processing, which includes the kingdom's uranium reserves, a fuel source for nuclear reactors.

For the Trump administration, any deal with Iran that enables Iran to maintain its own nuclear program or continue its uranium enrichment could escalate Saudi ambitions for the same.

That's despite the fact that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have softened their animosity toward Iran in recent years and currently support the U.S. in its quest to limit Iran's nuclear program peacefully.

For the U.S., any technological support it offers the Saudis during their transition to nuclear power reactors would be a lucrative boon for American companies.

International Backing for U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact

Internationally, there is endorsement for U.S.-Saudi nuclear diplomacy, considering that the Saudis might instead go to China or Russia for help establishing a nuclear industry, with fewer safeguards.

According to Hasan Alhasan, a senior fellow in Bahrain for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, "If the U.S. doesn't provide it, then someone else will."

The Ghost of Nuclear Arms

"Without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we would follow suit as soon as possible," Prince Mohammed declared in 2018, during a time of heightened tensions between Arab states and Iran.

While Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have since professed their commitment to better relations and diplomacy with Iran, Prince Mohammed's remarks—as well as those of other Saudi officials—have left open the possibility that nuclear weapons could be part of Riyadh's strategic goals.

Saudi Arabia's ardor for Uranium Enrichment

The Saudis have long advocated for the establishment of a uranium enrichment facility in the kingdom as part of any nuclear cooperation between the two nations. This facility, intended to produce low-enriched uranium for civilian nuclear reactors, could potentially also generate highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.

Trump administration officials argue that Saudi Arabia's enthusiasm to capitalize on its uranium reserves is a driving force behind their intentions. Saudi Arabia has shelled out millions, with Chinese aid, to locate and develop its uranium deposits. However, the uranium ore that the kingdom has identified so far would be "severely uneconomic" to exploit, according to the intergovernmental Nuclear Energy Agency.

The Peril of Proliferation

Since it has been decades since there has been any government-sanctioned transfer of enrichment technology to a non-nuclear-weapon state, there are legitimate concerns about the repercussions of allowing Saudi Arabia—or any additional country—to host an enrichment facility. It could spark an explosion of nuclear proliferation among U.S. allies and adversaries, according to Robert Einhorn in a Brookings Institute post last year.

The Impact on Regional Security

Under the Biden administration, U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation was weighing in on broader negotiations involving Saudi desires for U.S. weaponry, security assurances, and a satisfactory resolution for Palestinians. The U.S., meanwhile, was linking cooperation to Saudi Arabia agreeing to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

However, the Trump administration seems to have disentangled this intricate bundle. Whether the administration sees delaying a sizable civil nuclear agreement as leverage in brokering an historic diplomatic relationship between the kingdom and Israel remains to be seen.

After Wright's visit, some Israelis expressed their disapproval of allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, and both Iran and Saudi Arabia are closely scrutinizing each other's discussions with the U.S. regarding their respective nuclear predicaments.

  1. The Trump administration sees the partnership with Saudi Arabia in establishing nuclear power plants as a means to secure American interests and counter competition from China and Russia.
  2. The prospect of helping the Saudis enrich their own uranium as part of the partnership raises concerns about nuclear proliferation and competition.
  3. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced significant developments this year in facilitating Saudi Arabia's pursuit of a commercial nuclear power industry.
  4. The Trump administration is eager about the U.S.-Saudi nuclear partnership but the shape it takes during Trump's visit is uncertain.
  5. Any deal with Iran that enables Iran to maintain its own nuclear program could escalate Saudi ambitions for the same.
  6. Saudi consumption of its own oil for powering air conditioning eats up one-third of its production.
  7. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pushing for the expansion of Saudi Arabia's mineral mining and processing, which includes the kingdom's uranium reserves.
  8. For the U.S., any technological support offered to the Saudis during their transition to nuclear power reactors would be a lucrative boon for American companies.
  9. Internationally, there is endorsement for U.S.-Saudi nuclear diplomacy due to the possibility that the Saudis might instead go to China or Russia for help establishing a nuclear industry, with fewer safeguards.
  10. If the U.S. doesn't provide support for Saudi Arabia's nuclear industry, others like China or Russia will.
  11. In 2018, while tensions between Arab states and Iran were high, Prince Mohammed declared that Saudi Arabia would follow Iran in developing a nuclear bomb if Iran did.
  12. Although Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have softened their animosity toward Iran, Prince Mohammed's remarks suggest nuclear weapons could be part of Riyadh's strategic goals.
  13. The Saudis have advocated for the establishment of a uranium enrichment facility for producing low-enriched uranium for civilian nuclear reactors, which could also generate highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.
  14. Saudi Arabia has invested millions in locating and developing its uranium deposits with Chinese aid.
  15. The uranium ore that Saudi Arabia has identified so far would be "severely uneconomic" to exploit, according to the intergovernmental Nuclear Energy Agency.
  16. The potential blast of nuclear proliferation from allowing Saudi Arabia to host an enrichment facility is a valid concern, as it could lead to the rapid spreading of nuclear technology among allies and adversaries.
  17. Under the Biden administration, U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation was being considered in the context of broader negotiations involving U.S. weaponry, security assurances, and a satisfactory resolution for Palestinians.
  18. The Trump administration appears to have disentangled this intricate bundle, and it remains unclear whether the administration sees delaying a substantial civil nuclear agreement as leverage in brokering an historic diplomatic relationship between the kingdom and Israel.
  19. Israeli officials expressed their disapproval of allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium.
  20. Iran and Saudi Arabia are closely monitoring each other's discussions with the U.S. regarding their respective nuclear predicaments.
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