‘There is no enrichment envisioned’ in Saudi nuclear deal, Waltz says - Politico

What the report says

Politico reported that Mike Waltz said a newly drafted U.S.-Saudi nuclear arrangement does not contemplate uranium enrichment by Saudi Arabia. According to the report, Waltz also said the agreement would not take effect unless Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords, linking any nuclear cooperation to a broader diplomatic step involving normalization with Israel.

The available article text does not provide the full terms of the proposed deal, Waltz’s formal role in the negotiations, or the venue and timing of his remarks beyond Politico’s July 26 report. The key points attributed to him are that enrichment is not part of the envisioned arrangement and that implementation is conditional on Saudi participation in the accords.

The issue matters because U.S. support for a Saudi civilian nuclear program has long drawn scrutiny in Washington and the region. Civil nuclear cooperation can involve technology, fuel supply and safeguards, while uranium enrichment is especially sensitive because it can produce reactor fuel but, at higher levels and under different conditions, material relevant to nuclear weapons. Any agreement would likely be assessed against nonproliferation standards and U.S. legal requirements.

As background, the Abraham Accords began in 2020 as normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab governments. Saudi Arabia has not joined them, and its potential participation has been viewed as a major diplomatic prize. Politico’s report indicates the nuclear deal, as described by Waltz, is being tied to that wider regional normalization effort.