Saudi Arabia preparing to grant IAEA more intrusive powers, Grossi says
Grossi said Saudi Arabia will not sign the Additional Protocol but will accept monitoring powers over enrichment, conversion and reprocessing.
- IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said on Monday that Saudi Arabia will accept inspection powers for sensitive nuclear activities that are "very, very similar" to the Additional Protocol, without formally signing the mechanism itself.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed a July 22 "123 agreement" capping over a decade of stalled talks, opening a path to domestic uranium enrichment after a two-year study.
- Oversight powers cover uranium enrichment, conversion, and reprocessing activities, with final details pending before the 35-nation Board of Governors, Grossi said.
- Congress is conducting a 90-day review of the deal, with Democrats and nonproliferation groups pushing back over the lack of the Additional Protocol, which permits unannounced inspections.
- For Riyadh, the deal supports Vision 2030 diversification goals alongside nuclear power and renewables, while the White House links it to potential Abraham Accords accession and normalization with Israel.
15 Articles
15 Articles
U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal Clears Vienna Hurdle As Congress Review Continues
A planned nuclear cooperation deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia won't include the toughest inspection regime the U.N.'s atomic watchdog has to offer, but it's going to come close on the activities that matter most. That's the picture International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi laid out Monday in Vienna, speaking to reporters during the agency's September Board of Governors meeting. Riyadh isn't signing the IAEA's Additio…
A planned nuclear agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia does not include Riyadh's accession to the Additional Protocol, which grants wide powers of inspection to the UN nuclear agency, but some similar measures are being prepared, said the head of the agency on Monday. Subject matter exclusive to subscribers. To have full access, access the link of the subject and register.
Al-Monitor
Saudi Arabia preparing to grant IAEA more intrusive powers, Grossi says
By Francois MurphyVIENNA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A planned U.S.-Saudi atomic deal does not include Riyadh signing the Additional Protocol that gives the U.N. nuclear watchdog sweeping inspection powers, but something close to it on some points is in the works, the agency's chief said on Monday.The U.S. and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on civil nuclear power cooperation in July that would let Riyadh enrich uranium and build nuclear reactors usin…
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