LONDON (Dispatches) – U.S. President Donald Trump has formally approved a landmark nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could grant the kingdom uranium enrichment capability, with the deal expected to be announced as early as Wednesday, according to multiple U.S. officials and news reports.
The 30-year agreement, set to be signed by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, could pave the way for American firms, including Westinghouse, to build an enrichment facility on Saudi soil following a joint feasibility study. 
Administration officials estimate the pact will be worth tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. nuclear industry.
The timing is explosive. Washington is currently waging a terrorist war on Iran in part to prevent Tehran from enriching uranium—yet Trump is now poised to hand the very same capability to Iran’s biggest regional rival. 
The agreement is expected to be submitted to Congress within days, where it will face a 90-day review period.
The deal notably omits the “Gold Standard” safeguards that would block Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel—both potential pathways to nuclear weapons. 
It also excludes the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which would grant more intrusive oversight including snap inspections at undeclared sites.
Non-proliferation experts warn that giving Riyadh enrichment capability could trigger a catastrophic nuclear arms race in West Asia. 
Congressional opposition is expected, though blocking the agreement would require a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto—a steep hurdle with Republicans controlling both chambers.
Unlike the Biden administration’s approach, the deal is not conditioned on Saudi normalization with Israel. The UAE’s 2009 “123 agreement,” which did not include enrichment, has long been cited as the non-proliferation “gold standard”—a standard Washington has now abandoned.
The U.S. administration has urged Congress to support the deal, arguing it will “prevent strategic competition from seizing an opportunity” and “reestablish our leadership in the global civilian nuclear energy market.” In other words, Washington would rather hand nuclear technology to Riyadh than risk China or Russia doing so first.
In negotiations with Iran in Geneva in February, the U.S. demanded Tehran commit to a 10 to 20-year suspension of any right to enrich domestically—a demand Tehran rejected. 
Now, Washington is granting the same capability to Saudi Arabia without requiring equivalent concessions. 
The hypocrisy is glaring and will almost certainly inflame Iranian public opinion, offering another testimony that the terrorist U.S. war is not about non-proliferation but about weakening and fragmenting the country and regional hegemony.