A group of a dozen Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press for the strictest non-proliferation conditions - described as the 'gold standard' - in any agreement that would govern U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
The lawmakers flagged a November initial report from the administration of Republican President Donald Trump to certain congressional committee leaders. That report, they said, indicated the administration is pursuing a civil nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia that may omit long-established U.S. non-proliferation protections designed to prevent the kingdom from developing nuclear weapons.
According to the letter, many Democrats and some Republicans - including Rubio during his time in the U.S. Senate - have previously insisted any arrangement include explicit guardrails. Those conditions include prohibitions on uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, which are potential technical pathways to developing nuclear weapons.
The administrations report to Congress described a draft U.S.-Saudi pact, known as a 123 Agreement, that places U.S. industry at the center of Saudi civil nuclear development and asserts that non-proliferation safeguards would be in place. The report also, however, references language that could allow Saudi enrichment, noting 'additional safeguards and verification measures to the most sensitive areas of potential nuclear cooperation' between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, including enrichment and reprocessing.
In their letter to Secretary Rubio, which named U.S. Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeff Merkley of Oregon among its signatories, the lawmakers wrote: 'We urge you to immediately reconsider these plans and seek an agreement that meets the \'gold standard,\' consistent with the longstanding bipartisan consensus on this issue.'
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawmakers appeal.
The letter also cited comments from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, who has said the kingdom would pursue nuclear weapons if Iran, a regional rival, were to do so.
The Trump administration could submit a 123 Agreement to Congress in the near term, though the timing remains unclear amid what the report described as the war with Iran over its nuclear program. Under the statute governing 123 Agreements, unless both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives pass resolutions opposing the pact within 90 days after it is submitted, the agreement would permit Saudi Arabia to proceed with a civil nuclear program.
Key points
- Dozen Democratic lawmakers urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to insist on 'gold standard' non-proliferation measures in any U.S.-Saudi 123 Agreement.
- The administration's November report says a draft 123 Agreement centers U.S. industry in Saudi nuclear development but includes language that could allow enrichment and reprocessing.
- Sectors potentially impacted include energy - specifically nuclear power development - and defense and national security oversight mechanisms.
Risks and uncertainties
- Permitting uranium enrichment or spent fuel reprocessing could raise proliferation concerns that affect geopolitical stability and defense-related markets.
- Unclear timing for submission of a 123 Agreement to Congress creates procedural uncertainty for energy firms and contractors that might participate in Saudi nuclear projects.
- Domestic political opposition in Congress could alter or block a proposed agreement within the 90-day review window, affecting companies preparing to engage in Saudi nuclear development.