Breaking: US and Saudi Arabia reach nuclear cooperation deal

The US and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement on civil nuclear power, a deal that allows the kingdom to build nuclear reactors using American technology and to enrich uranium.A civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia has been in the works for years during both US President Donald Trump's first administration and that of former president Joe Biden.Unlike the Biden plan, this deal does not include a so-called Additional Protocol that allows the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out intrusive snap inspections.The deal would also allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste, both of which are potential pathways to making a nuclear weapon.The UAE agreed to forgo both of those when it signed a similar deal with the US in 2009.Marco Rubio refused to confirm the Saudi Arabia deal but dismissed fears it could lead to nuclear proliferation. (Reuters: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)The US Department of Energy released a statement on Thursday morning confirming what it described as the "historic" deal after reports by multiple US media outlets."US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, commonly known as a 123 agreement, alongside an accompanying bilateral safeguards agreement," the statement said."Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation."The deal between the US and Saudi Arabia is expected to last 30 years and involve US firms in developing the program, according to the earlier media reports.US President Donald Trump's administration said the agreement would provide billions of dollars for the US nuclear industry.It comes as Washington continues its war with Iran that began partly due to US concerns over Tehran's nuclear program and remains a key point of contention during the now-stalled peace talks.But US politicians from both parties and Israeli officials had voiced opposition to a civilian nuclear project for Saudi Arabia over fears it could be converted to develop nuclear weapons eventually.The deal is expected to be submitted to Congress in the coming days, but its approval is not required for it to go through.US would not agree to deal that risked proliferation, Rubio saysSaudi Arabia has long been adamant about its right to pursue a civilian nuclear program.Prior to the announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to confirm the Saudi Arabia deal, deferring to the White House."Suffice it to say, the US is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation," he told reporters on the sidelines of a summit of South-East Asian foreign ministers.Earlier, former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the agreement with Saudi Arabia represented a "severe strategic failure" for Israel that could endanger the country's security."Enrichment of nuclear material on Saudi soil could lead to a regional arms race and a dangerous loss of control," he said."This failure joins a series of diplomatic failures centred on one key issue — Israel is losing influence over its own fate."AFP/AP/Reuters