U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright testifies before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during his confirmation hearing in Washington, January 15, 2025. (Credit: Ting Shen/AFP)
In the Middle East, "nuclear deal" rhymes with "Iran." But not this time. On April 13, a different deal was put forward in Riyadh: the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are set to sign an agreement to cooperate over the development of a Saudi civil nuclear industry, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters following a meeting with his Saudi counterpart. “I think you'll see significant developments this year,” he hinted.Coveted by the kingdom for years, American assistance on the subject of the atom was recently one of the Saudi demands for normalization with Israel, alongside a security pact. In addition to Israel's war on Gaza, which brought this process to a halt, the possibility of Riyadh enriching uranium on its own soil, and thus paving the way for the militarization of its nuclear program, also got in the way of American-Saudi...
In the Middle East, "nuclear deal" rhymes with "Iran." But not this time. On April 13, a different deal was put forward in Riyadh: the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are set to sign an agreement to cooperate over the development of a Saudi civil nuclear industry, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters following a meeting with his Saudi counterpart. “I think you'll see significant developments this year,” he hinted.Coveted by the kingdom for years, American assistance on the subject of the atom was recently one of the Saudi demands for normalization with Israel, alongside a security pact. In addition to Israel's war on Gaza, which brought this process to a halt, the possibility of Riyadh enriching uranium on its own soil, and thus paving the way for the militarization of its nuclear program, also got in the way of American-Saudi...
