Saudi Nuclear Agreement Could Open a Path to 20% Enrichment

Michael R. Gordon and Laurence Norman | The Wall Street Journal

New details of the Trump administration’s agreement to provide Saudi Arabia with a civilian nuclear program are spurring criticism that the landmark deal doesn’t do enough to head off the risk of nuclear proliferation. The text of the accord was shared with lawmakers last week along with a raft of related documents. It outlines a road map for how uranium might be enriched in the kingdom’s territory after further consultations, including at a level of nearly 20%.

Status of Iran’s Nuclear Program Is Unclear, U.N. Watchdog Says

Steven Erlanger | The New York Times

Iran is continuing to deny inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog access to its nuclear facilities so they cannot verify the location and status of Iran’s near bomb-grade uranium, according to an internal report from the agency. “The agency’s lack of information about this material and access to facilities to verify it is a matter of proliferation concern,” said the report, by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael M. Grossi. He called on Iran to allow agency inspectors into the country “with the utmost urgency.”

Syrian Nuclear Discovery Unlocks Two-Decade Probe by UN Watchdog

Jonathan Tirone | Bloomberg

The United Nations’ atomic watchdog said it confirmed that the former Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad carried out covert nuclear activities, after the country’s new government helped the organization with a two-decade probe. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported on Tuesday that it’s “been able to clarify” major elements of an investigation that began following a 2007 Israeli strike on the Deir El Zour facility in eastern Syria. The breakthrough offers a rare nuclear-diplomacy success in a region confronting longstanding tensions over Iran’s atomic program.

Sweden’s Grand Nuclear Ambitions Come Down to an Election

Lars Paulsson and Charlie Duxbury | Bloomberg

On an open-air stage at Almedalen, Sweden’s annual summer politics festival, two of the nation’s most influential politicians took turns standing under the blazing sun to lay out sharply differing visions of their country’s energy future… All of the governing parties, from the center to the far-right, share a deep conviction that creating a new domestic electricity supply is vital for continued economic growth, which they put at or near the top of the political agenda. They see nuclear as key to electrifying Sweden’s highly polluting traditional industries, such as mining, forestry, iron and steel, ensuring they’ll be able to continue operating sustainably and profitably.

AUKUS makes Australia a nuclear target, top experts warn

Rob Harris | WA today

Australia is significantly more likely to be dragged into a destructive conflict with China — and potentially targeted with nuclear weapons — under the AUKUS security pact, two former senior national security figures have warned. Michael Keating, a former Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary, and former public servant Jon Stanford argue that the federal government’s current defence posture has “sacrificed considerable sovereignty” to the United States while leaving the country uniquely vulnerable without a guaranteed security safety net.

The U.S.-Saudi Agreement for Civil Nuclear Cooperation: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Kelsey Davenport | Arms Control Association

President Donald Trump announced on July 22 that the United States and Saudi Arabia finalized a civil nuclear cooperation agreement. On Aug. 24, the Trump administration transmitted the deal, along with the unclassified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS), to Congress for review, as required by the Atomic Energy Act… The following are answers to frequently asked questions about the Saudi nuclear program, the U.S-Saudi nuclear agreement, the Additional Protocol, and the requirements of Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act.