The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement Wednesday that could allow the kingdom to enrich uranium on its own soil. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed both a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement and an accompanying bilateral safeguards agreement, according to the Department of Energy. The deal is expected to span 30 years and involve American companies including Westinghouse in building out the Saudi nuclear energy program.

Under the reported terms, Saudi Arabia could be permitted to construct a uranium enrichment facility following a joint study with the United States, rather than relying on imported nuclear fuel. Full details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed to Congress, which must review the deal and retains the authority to disapprove it. Experts say it could take at least a decade before Saudi Arabia brings a nuclear power plant online.

The agreement drew immediate criticism on Capitol Hill. At a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., warned that the transfer of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia carried long-term risks, drawing a parallel to U.S. arms sales to the Shah of Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Sherman called for an oversight hearing and said any deal should include the same nonproliferation safeguards contained in a 2009 U.S. agreement with the United Arab Emirates, under which Abu Dhabi voluntarily renounced domestic enrichment and reprocessing. Sherman also noted that he and then-Sen. Marco Rubio had introduced legislation in 2018 requiring congressional approval before any such agreement could be reached with Riyadh.

The announcement carries particular sensitivity given the United States is currently engaged in military action against Iran in part over Tehran's domestic uranium enrichment program. Critics, including Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities, argued the timing was reckless and could pressure Iran to accelerate efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia has previously stated it would seek nuclear weapons capability if Iran obtained one. The deal also lacks the enhanced International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring protocols that had been applied to Iran under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The proposal has been under discussion across multiple administrations. The Biden administration had sought to tie Saudi access to nuclear technology to normalization of relations with Israel, a condition Saudi Arabia refused. The Trump administration moved forward without that condition. The agreement now goes to Congress, where it is expected to face opposition from lawmakers concerned about the absence of stronger nonproliferation commitments from Riyadh.