US allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium

A draft nuclear deal has been prepared to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on its own soil. However, the deal is currently stalled due to the lack of final signature by US President Donald Trump.

Negotiations on the deal were concluded in October 2015, but Trump is reportedly delaying signing it due to the ongoing war with Iran. In addition, there is a fear of facing bipartisan opposition in the US Congress.

Uranium enrichment is the main way to make nuclear bombs. Usually, a country imports uranium from other countries rather than producing it itself for civilian use. Experts have warned that without strict rules, Saudi Arabia could find a way to make nuclear weapons through this deal. Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also said that if Iran builds a nuclear bomb, Saudi Arabia will also build one.

The most worrying thing is that the deal does not include strict monitoring rules by the UN Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result, the agency will not be able to inspect Saudi Arabia's suspected nuclear facilities whenever it wants. The whole matter will be regulated only through a bilateral agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

In 2009, the United Arab Emirates gave up its greed for such technology and signed an agreement that follows strict international rules, which is known as the "gold standard" of nuclear security.

Many experts believe that giving this technology on Saudi soil is dangerous, because they can take control of the center at any time. On the other hand, those in favor of the agreement argue that it will bring great benefits to the American nuclear business.

In addition, if the United States does not sign the agreement, Saudi Arabia may get this technology more easily from Russia or China. However, according to opponents, if the United States signs an agreement with such relaxed rules, it will become difficult to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons around the world.

Source: CNN.