US-Saudi Civil Nuclear Deal Reportedly Set for Announcement Amid Regional Tensions

A senior government official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told NBC News that a formal announcement regarding the cooperation is expected to be made on Wednesday (22/7) local time. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the agreement. The deal has come under intense scrutiny because it paves the way for Saudi Arabia to conduct its own uranium enrichment. This step is feared to raise nuclear proliferation concerns in the volatile Middle East region. Responding to these concerns, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the United States remains committed to global security. Rubio stated that the US would not reach an agreement with any country in the world that could pose a proliferation risk. The agreement emerges while military tensions between the US-Israel alliance and Iran persist. Trump has consistently asserted that Tehran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, even though the Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied having plans to build a nuclear arsenal. Previously, the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia was a key condition set by the US for the kingdom to be permitted to enrich uranium. However, Saudi leaders have insisted that normalisation is impossible without meaningful progress towards the establishment of a Palestinian state. Although approved by the President, the deal must still go through a voting mechanism in the US Congress. However, opponents of the deal in the legislature require a veto-proof majority to actually cancel or block the agreement.