US senators concerned about nuclear proliferation said Friday that they have secured a Senate vote on President Donald Trump’s proposed nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, with the vote expected before December 13, Reuters reported.
The agreement, known as a 123 Agreement, was announced in July, submitted by Trump to Congress in late August and entered the Senate record on September 14. Lawmakers have 90 days from that date to review the pact and potentially introduce a resolution of disapproval.
“The Senate will now have a chance to fulfill its statutory responsibility to study and weigh in on the impact this agreement could have in driving a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and potentially undermining nuclear nonproliferation efforts around the world,” Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said. Merkley said he worked with Republican senators to secure the vote alongside Democrats Tim Kaine, Ed Markey, Chris Coons and Chris Van Hollen.
Critics of the agreement, including some Democratic lawmakers and nuclear nonproliferation advocates, have raised concerns that it does not prevent Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing nuclear waste, both of which can provide pathways toward developing nuclear weapons. The Trump administration maintains that the agreement contains the nonproliferation safeguards required under US law.
A bipartisan group of senators previously urged the administration to declassify information concerning the proposed civilian nuclear agreement, including two classified “side letters” negotiated with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said Riyadh does not seek nuclear weapons, but has also said Saudi Arabia would develop them if Iran obtains such weapons.
The agreement has also drawn scrutiny over whether Saudi Arabia must normalize relations with Israel for the nuclear pact to take effect. Trump has said normalization is a condition, but congressional aides have said the agreement itself contains no provision addressing the issue.
“I just say that in order to do it, they have to be a member of the Abraham Accords, which have been very successful. But it’s time now that they do it,” Trump told reporters two days after the agreement was signed.
The Abraham Accords were negotiated during Trump’s first administration and resulted in Israel establishing diplomatic relations with several Arab countries. Saudi Arabia and Israel had also been pursuing a potential normalization agreement before Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, after which Riyadh suspended the US-backed process.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
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