On Wednesday, the US Department of Energy announced the signing of a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, commonly known as a “123 Agreement”, with Saudi Arabia.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed the deal alongside a bilateral safeguards agreement with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who joined via video link from Riyadh.
The pact, long in the making with discussions dating back nearly two decades, aims to lay the foundation for a multi-billion-dollar partnership on peaceful nuclear energy.
It prioritises US companies and includes provisions for studying uranium enrichment under strict controls, while falling short of the full Additional Protocol safeguards with the International Atomic Energy Agency that some nonproliferation experts prefer.
US Department of Energy officials described it as advancing US-Saudi commercial ties, nuclear safety standards, and strategic objectives, with Secretary Wright crediting US President Donald Trump for an “American nuclear renaissance.”
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Less than 24 hours later, however, the deal appeared in disarray.
On Thursday morning, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the agreement “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.” He added: “There will be no enrichment of material!” emphasising non-military use.
White House officials indicated Trump was not fully briefed and had not approved the rollout in its announced form.
