Nicolai Haugsted
White House officials are facing severe pushback over undisclosed side letters with Saudi Arabia.
Opaque international agreements involving civil nuclear technology frequently spark intense scrutiny from congressional watchdogs on Capitol Hill.
According to Reuters, senators from both political parties formally urged the administration of President Donald Trump on Wednesday to declassify all documentation regarding a proposed civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Specific concerns center around two classified “side letters” finalized with Riyadh alongside the primary agreement.
Prominent lawmakers dispatched a formal demand to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Energy Christopher Wright, highlighting that Washington has historically secured dozens of these standard 123 nuclear agreements without keeping key details in the dark.
“Access to the full text is required for the Senate and the public to have a clear understanding of the commitments being made on the nation’s behalf and those being made by Saudi Arabia to the United States,” the senators stated in the letter seen by Reuters.
Neither the State Department nor the Energy Department offered immediate commentary regarding the bipartisan request.
Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Ed Markey of Massachusetts spearheaded the initiative, securing signatures from 13 fellow Democrats, one independent, and Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky and John Kennedy of Louisiana.
Trump submitted the nuclear framework to Congress in August, triggering a strict 90-day congressional review window where lawmakers can attempt to pass a resolution of disapproval.
Nuclear Nonproliferation and Foreign Policy Questions
Sprawling economic stakes underpin the 30-year pact, which outlines the construction of AP1000 reactors—a multi-billion-dollar windfall benefiting Westinghouse, owned jointly by Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.
Geopolitical complexities continue to complicate the deal, particularly regarding diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Israel.
Trump previously asserted that the nuclear arrangement would only take effect if Saudi Arabia formally normalized ties with Israel, though congressional aides noted that no such condition exists within the actual text of the pact.
Signatories to Wednesday’s letter omitted references to the Israel normalization question, focusing instead on nuclear safety standards.
Critics among nonproliferation advocates highlight that the proposed deal fails to explicitly prohibit Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing nuclear waste—activities that can yield weapons-grade material.
United States officials previously secured those strict safeguards, known as the gold standard, during a 2009 civil nuclear arrangement with the United Arab Emirates.
White House officials maintain that the proposed agreement fully complies with all legal nonproliferation requirements mandated by federal law.
