Saudi Arabia could gain uranium enrichment capability within its borders under a proposed nuclear agreement with the United States, according to U.S. congressional documents and assessments from arms control agencies. The prospect has raised concerns about potential nuclear proliferation amid ongoing tensions between Iran and Washington.

A congressional document obtained by the Associated Press indicates that the Trump administration is pursuing 20 nuclear cooperation agreements with countries worldwide, including Saudi Arabia. The document suggests that a deal with Riyadh could be worth billions of dollars.

The document states that reaching an agreement with the kingdom “will advance the national security interests of the United States by abandoning the failed policies of inaction and indecision that our competitors have exploited to disadvantage American industry and diminish the United States’ international standing in this critical area.”

The draft agreement envisions the U.S. and Saudi Arabia entering into safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. These arrangements would include oversight in the “most proliferation-sensitive areas of potential nuclear cooperation,” such as uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel fabrication, and reprocessing.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia’s neighbor, signed a so-called “123 agreement” with the United States to construct the Barakah nuclear power plant with support from South Korea. However, the UAE proceeded without seeking enrichment capability—a step that nuclear nonproliferation experts have described as the “gold standard” for countries developing peaceful nuclear energy.