Statement from NENSC Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Imminent Transmittal of the U.S.–Saudi Arabia 123 Nuclear Agreement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2026
Statement from NENSC Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Imminent Transmittal of the U.S.–Saudi Arabia 123 Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jay Tilden, Executive Director of the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC), issued the following statement today on the Administration's imminent transmittal of the U.S.–Saudi Arabia 123 agreement to Congress:
A civil nuclear agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in the national security interest of the United States. Once the agreement is transmitted to Congress, it opens the 90-day review window that Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act was designed to provide — and that is exactly how the system should work. Congress should use the review period to examine those provisions rigorously. It is important to consider that U.S. engagement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will establish very stringent standards for nuclear security and nonproliferation, enable institutional and commercial linkages that ensure U.S. influence and involvement over the 80-100 year life of the Saudi nuclear energy program, and finally will deter Russian or Chinese influence in this strategically important region. As such, Congress should evaluate the agreement based on its actual provisions—not misconceptions—and recognize that sustained U.S. engagement is America's strongest nonproliferation tool.
Contrary to some claims that the agreement would lower U.S. nonproliferation standards, news reports and our sources indicate the safeguards and nonproliferation measures actually surpass those of a standard Section 123 agreement and exceed the terms proposed by the Biden Administration. Lastly, it is important to consider that a Saudi program built with Russian or Chinese partners would have none of the uniquely stringent nonproliferation obligations that come with U.S. cooperation.
NENSC will review the transmitted agreement once it is available and our Expert Council, which includes former senior officials from across multiple administrations, is available to Congressional offices, the press, and the public throughout the review period.
In preparation for this transmittal, NENSC has convened bipartisan expert discussions on these questions, including a February 2026 panel with the Center for the National Interest (CFTNI) featuring NENSC Co-Chair Hon. Daniel Poneman, NENSC Expert Council Member, Hon. Stephen Rademaker, and former Assistant Secretary of State, Hon. Robert Einhorn.
NENSC and CFTNI will host a follow-on public discussion during a webinar on July 31, further examining the transmitted text.
To schedule time with NENSC experts on the agreement, please contact information@nensc.org.
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The Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) is an independent organization of leading national security experts dedicated to leveraging U.S. nuclear energy to advance U.S. national security interests. NENSC is dedicated to expanding recognition of this interdependence among policymakers at all levels and promoting policies that ensure a robust U.S. nuclear energy enterprise.