US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a thirty-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement on Wednesday — a deal that crucially does not require Saudi Arabia to give up uranium enrichment, breaking with the stricter conditions Washington imposed on the UAE.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the agreement would set off a nuclear race in the region, while the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has urged Congress to block the accord during its ninety-day review period under the Atomic Energy Act.
The deal has also provoked a backlash in Israel, where opposition politicians have warned that enriched nuclear fuel could eventually allow Riyadh to develop nuclear weapons.
Kate Fisher has more from Washington.
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