A classified U.S. intelligence assessment has found that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out building a nuclear weapons program, cutting against President Donald Trump's pitch for a deal that could let the kingdom enrich its own uranium.
The assessment was part of classified documents sent to Congress last month, U.S. officials told The Washington Post. The same documents included input from the State Department, which, according to the officials, put more faith in the agreement's protections and in Riyadh's pledges.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said the United States shouldn't take Riyadh at its word.
"It's bogus as hell," he told the Post, arguing that Saudi Arabia's push to make its own nuclear fuel suggests ambitions beyond energy.
A day after the deal was announced in July, Trump assured the public on Truth Social: "There will be no enrichment of material!"
But the 5 percent enrichment cap in the deal is only a starting point. If the two countries complete another study and sign off in writing, the limit can climb to 20 percent. Uranium at that level, the Post notes, is a short step from bomb grade. Energy Secretary Chris Wright later confirmed that the deal gives Riyadh a path to enriching uranium on Saudi soil, though he said that was years away.
The deal also doesn't require the IAEA's Additional Protocol, the strictest inspection standard. Critics have warned since July that it could set off a nuclear race in the region. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in 2018 that the kingdom would build a bomb if Iran did so.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio now backs the deal. As a senator, he co-sponsored legislation with Sen. Ed Markey in 2019 that would have required Congress to approve any Saudi nuclear agreement.
Some Democrats praised intelligence officials for being candid despite past pressure from the administration. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) said the agencies' remaining truth tellers were barely hanging on.
Democratic senators also pointed to Jared Kushner, whose firm took a $2 billion Saudi investment after he left the White House, a relationship that has drawn sharp criticism. Kushner's spokespeople did not respond to the Post.
The State Department told the Post the United States will not support a Saudi weapons program. Saudi Arabia's energy minister has said the program will be peaceful.
Congress is in a 90-day review period, but blocking the deal would take majorities large enough to override a Trump veto.