Saudi Arabia may give the UN nuclear watchdog greater inspection powers as part of its attempts to get a nuclear deal with the US approved and head off criticism that the agreement does not sufficiently limit proliferation risks. The Saudi-US nuclear deal is expected to allow the kingdom to enrich uranium to nearly 20%, according to documents sent to US lawmakers, The Wall Street Journal reported, raising concerns that nuclear material could be diverted for military uses.
Saudi officials are negotiating a bilateral deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency that would include additional obligations for monitoring and verification. The Saudi-US deal would favor American firms over Chinese and Russian competitors, but is less restrictive in other areas. Saudi Arabia has not signed up to the “Additional Protocol” that grants IAEA inspectors sweeping access. Iran had implemented that protocol under its 2015 nuclear deal.