Saudi Arabia seeks defense pact with the US
Saudi Arabia and the United States are negotiating a comprehensive defense pact that could significantly strengthen security ties between the two nations, according to recent reports. The kingdom hopes to finalize the agreement during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s expected visit to the White House next month.
Defense Pact Details
The proposed defense deal is modeled after the recent U.S.-Qatar agreement, which pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States. A senior Trump administration official told the Financial Times that “there are discussions about signing something when the crown prince comes, but the details are in flux”. The arrangement is expected to include deeper military and intelligence cooperation, joint defense planning, and enhanced missile and air defense capabilities.
Nuclear Cooperation Component
Parallel to defense discussions, the United States and Saudi Arabia are advancing negotiations on civil nuclear cooperation. In April, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced that both countries were on a “pathway” toward a preliminary agreement to develop Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear industry. Wright emphasized that any U.S. engagement would require a “123 agreement” under the 1954 Atomic Energy Act, which establishes nine non-proliferation standards to prevent nuclear weapons development.
The Trump administration has notably delinked nuclear cooperation from Saudi normalization with Israel, marking a significant policy shift from the Biden administration’s approach. Under former President Biden, nuclear talks were part of a broader “grand bargain” that tied civil nuclear cooperation and a defense treaty to Saudi-Israeli normalization and progress toward Palestinian statehood.
Regional Security Context
Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of stronger U.S. defense guarantees comes amid heightened regional tensions following Israeli strikes and the ongoing Gaza conflict. Last month, Saudi Arabia also signed a mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan, which includes extended nuclear deterrence commitments. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif confirmed that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons capabilities “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia under that agreement.
Crown Prince Mohammed has stated that Saudi normalization with Israel remains contingent on the establishment of a Palestinian state, a condition Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects. The crown prince has also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Economic Motivations
Despite being the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia seeks nuclear energy to reduce carbon emissions and reserve more crude oil for export as part of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed’s economic diversification initiative. Nuclear energy could replace fossil fuels used in energy-intensive processes like water desalination and air conditioning, allowing the kingdom to maximize oil revenue.
Congressional and Proliferation Concerns
Any agreement with Saudi Arabia is expected to face scrutiny in Congress, where lawmakers have criticized Riyadh over its actions in Yemen, efforts to support oil prices, and involvement in the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Additionally, concerns persist that uranium enrichment capabilities could trigger further nuclear proliferation in the region, potentially prompting countries like Egypt and Turkey to pursue similar programs.
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