A planned US-Saudi atomic deal does not include Riyadh signing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Additional Protocol that gives the UN 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 US and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on civil nuclear power cooperation in July that would let Riyadh enrich uranium and build nuclear reactors using US technology.
Non-proliferation groups, such as the Arms Control Association, have criticised the planned “123 agreement” for not including the Additional Protocol, which grants the IAEA extra powers such as the ability to carry out snap inspections at undeclared locations.
Iran implemented the Additional Protocol from 2016 to 2021 under a nuclear deal with major powers that unravelled after the US pulled out in 2018.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that while the Additional Protocol would be the “ideal setup”, Riyadh was preparing to go beyond its core obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement governing relations with the IAEA.
