The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, the White House announced.
The agreement, known as a “123 Agreement” under U.S. law, establishes the legal framework for American companies to export nuclear technology and materials to Saudi Arabia for peaceful energy purposes.
Security analyst Noam Amir highlights three Israeli concerns about the US-Saudi civil nuclear deal:
Precedent risk: Israel fears the precedent will encourage other Middle Eastern states to demand similar nuclear agreements, potentially shifting the regional strategic balance.
Waning influence in Washington: Israel worries that as US economic interest in Saudi Arabia grows over this expected 30-year, multi-billion-dollar partnership, Israel’s influence over Washington’s decisions regarding the kingdom will shrink.
Missed normalization leverage: Israel would have preferred the US condition the nuclear deal on parallel normalization with Israel; without that, some in Jerusalem see it as a missed diplomatic opportunity, especially since Israel-Saudi normalization looked close before October 7 but Riyadh has since set new conditions.
The deal comes as Riyadh pushes to develop nuclear energy as part of its economic diversification plans under Vision 2030. Saudi officials have long sought access to U.S. nuclear technology, viewing it as critical to reducing the kingdom’s dependence on oil for domestic energy consumption.
The agreement requires Saudi Arabia to commit to using nuclear technology exclusively for peaceful purposes and to accept international safeguards and inspections.
The signing represents a significant development in U.S.-Saudi relations, which have seen both cooperation and tension in recent years. The nuclear deal had been under negotiation for years, with discussions intensifying as Saudi Arabia explored potential nuclear partnerships with other countries including China and Russia.