Trump approves nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump has approved an agreement with Saudi Arabia on the development of nuclear infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing American officials.

“President Trump has formally approved a landmark deal with Saudi Arabia that will provide the country with a civilian nuclear program and could potentially open the door to uranium enrichment on the kingdom’s territory,” the outlet writes.

The value of the new agreement, which is set to run for 30 years, is estimated at tens of billions of dollars. It will require American companies to build uranium enrichment facilities in Saudi Arabia if both sides deem such a step necessary. Sources cited by the outlet believe the agreement lacks safety guarantees for the United States.

Chris Wright, US Secretary of Energy, is expected to sign the agreement on Wednesday, after which it will be submitted to Congress for review.

The newspaper states that the agreement may spark controversy among many lawmakers who oppose the spread of nuclear technology in the unstable Middle East. However, blocking it will not be easy: doing so would require passing a joint resolution of disapproval and then overriding a possible presidential veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.