Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) warned that President Donald Trump’s reported nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia could weaken U.S. leverage in negotiations with Iran and increase the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
Murphy Criticizes Trump’s Saudi Nuclear Agreement
On Monday, in a post on X, Murphy criticized the agreement, arguing that allowing Saudi Arabia to develop a broader civilian nuclear program could complicate efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran.
“Let me explain to you why the agreement Trump just announced with Saudi Arabia — giving them the ability to start a full nuclear program — makes peace with Iran much less likely,” he wrote.
He added, “It’s just more foreign policy malpractice.”
In a video shared alongside the post, Murphy said the agreement does not meet the “gold standard” for nuclear cooperation agreements, which typically include strict inspections and restrictions on domestic uranium enrichment.
“We are apparently going to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically,” he said.
He added, “That’s dangerous in and of itself. It creates a risk of proliferation.”
Murphy argued that the decision could undermine U.S. negotiations with Iran, which has faced international scrutiny over its nuclear activities.
Lawmakers Question Trump’s Saudi Nuclear Deal
On Sunday, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said he opposed moving forward with the deal while the U.S. remained involved in conflict with Iran, arguing that negotiating with Saudi Arabia while pressuring Iran over its nuclear ambitions sent a mixed message.
He said his concern was about the timing of the agreement rather than civilian nuclear cooperation itself.
Last week, Hunter Biden also criticized the reported agreement, questioning why the U.S. was targeting Iran’s nuclear activities while allegedly supporting Saudi Arabia’s uranium enrichment plans.
He raised concerns over Saudi Arabia’s nuclear inspection commitments and highlighted financial ties between Saudi Arabia and the Trump family.
Previously, Trump said the agreement would move forward only if Saudi Arabia agreed to restrictions on uranium enrichment and limited the program to peaceful purposes.
He also linked the deal to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and said the U.S. supported non-enriched civilian nuclear facilities.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: viewimage on Shutterstock.com
Recent Comments