The UN nuclear watchdog is aware of a plan by the US and Saudi Arabia to ask it to carry out an inspection in connection with a nuclear cooperation agreement they are discussing, but has not yet received a request from them, Reuters reports.
"We look forward to receiving the request for such an inspection and to working with the US and Saudi Arabia to ensure the implementation of these measures," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.
The landmark nuclear cooperation agreement announced between the US and Saudi Arabia depends on whether Riyadh recognizes the State of Israel. This was stated by US President Donald Trump on his social network Truth Social.
He clarified that the agreement on civil nuclear energy concerns only peaceful purposes. Trump assured that uranium enrichment will not be allowed. According to him, it will be approved only if Saudi Arabia joins the highly valued and successful "Abraham Accords".
The US president stressed that the United States is not opposed to civil nuclear facilities.
Trump's comments come amid criticism that the deal could create a risk of future proliferation of nuclear weapons in an already unstable region. The nuclear issue is at the center of the months-long conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
In 2020, Trump helped broker the "Abraham Accords", which led to a historic normalization of relations between Israel and two Arab states, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. Sudan and Morocco later normalized their relations with Israel.