Saudi Arabia could give UN nuclear watchdog greater inspection powers
This is part of Saudi Arabia’s attempts to get a nuclear deal with the US approved.
Saudi Arabia is considering granting the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), enhanced inspection powers in a bid to secure a favorable nuclear agreement with the United States, according to reports. This move comes amid concerns that the existing nuclear deal with the US does not adequately address proliferation risks.
The proposed deal, which would permit Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium up to 20%, has raised alarms about the potential diversion of nuclear material for military purposes. In response, Saudi officials are engaging in negotiations with the IAEA to draft a bilateral agreement that would impose stricter monitoring and verification requirements.
While the Saudi-US deal would favor American companies over Chinese and Russian competitors, it falls short in other aspects. Notably, Saudi Arabia has not ratified the "Additional Protocol," which would grant IAEA inspectors unrestricted access, a measure Iran implemented as part of its 2015 nuclear deal.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
