The United States has decided to separate the discussions on civil nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia from the precondition that the kingdom normalizes diplomatic relations with Israel.
This decision marks a significant shift in U.S. policy from the previous administration of Joe Biden, which linked these issues in a broader agreement that included a defense treaty with Washington. The new stance is framed by the upcoming visit of President Donald Trump to Riyadh, scheduled for next week.
During Biden's tenure, nuclear talks with Saudi Arabia were conditioned on the normalization of relations with Israel, an aspect that caused tensions due to the Saudi insistence that such normalization would only occur if a viable path to a Palestinian state was established.
This approach was further complicated by the outrage in the Arab world over the war in Gaza and the United States' nuclear non-proliferation concerns.
However, the Trump administration has chosen to separate these issues. U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, indicated in April that both countries are on a ''path'' toward a civil nuclear agreement, although details have yet to be finalized.
A critical point in the negotiations is Section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which sets non-proliferation criteria for civil nuclear cooperation. Saudi Arabia has expressed its desire to enrich uranium and sell the product, which conflicts with the restrictions of this section.
A possible solution under discussion is a ''black box'' arrangement, where only U.S. personnel would have access to the uranium enrichment facilities on Saudi soil, a measure intended to mitigate proliferation concerns.
