Key facts
- U.S. senators requested the declassification of a proposed civil nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia.
- The senators are seeking two classified "side letters" related to the deal.
- The letter was signed by 16 senators, including Democrats Jeff Merkley, Ed Markey, Rand Paul, and John Kennedy.
- The proposed agreement is currently under a 90-day congressional review period.
- The deal involves the construction of AP1000 reactors, a project valued in the tens of billions of dollars.
- Critics argue the pact does not prevent Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing nuclear waste.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has urged the Trump administration to declassify and release all details of a proposed civil nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia, including two classified "side letters" that accompanied the deal. The senators, led by Democrats Jeff Merkley and Ed Markey and including Republicans Rand Paul and John Kennedy, stated in a letter that access to the full text is necessary for Congress and the public to understand the commitments made by both nations.
The proposed 30-year nuclear deal, sent to Congress in August for a 90-day review, involves the construction of AP1000 reactors, a project estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars and expected to benefit Westinghouse. Critics, including some Democratic lawmakers and nonproliferation advocates, have raised concerns that the pact does not prevent Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing nuclear waste, potential pathways to developing nuclear weapons. The Trump administration maintains that the deal includes the legally required nonproliferation measures.
Questions have also arisen regarding whether the agreement is contingent on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, a condition President Trump has stated would be necessary for the deal to take effect, though congressional aides suggest the pact itself does not address this issue.