A lawmaker described the nuclear negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the United States as a "political game" aimed at undermining Iran's regional clout.
"The US and Saudi Arabia are seeking to weaken Iran's role in the region. The issue of a US-Saudi nuclear agreement appears to have been raised for political motives." Ezzatollah Yousefian told ICANA in a Friday talk.
"Such future [nuclear] activities, if any, in Saudi Arabia will be undertaken by the US because, unlike the Islamic Republic, the Saudis lack the required know-how," he said.
Yousefian was commenting on an AP report earlier this week that US Energy Secretary Rick Perry would lead an interagency US delegation to talks with the Saudis in London on Friday.
The Arab kingdom is exploring a civilian nuclear energy program, possibly without restrictions on uranium enrichment and reprocessing that would be required under a US cooperation deal.
***Regional Rivalry
The Saudis have indicated they might accept such curbs if a separate nuclear deal with arch-rival Iran is tightened, AP said, citing unnamed US administration officials and outside advisors.
The nuclear restrictions Iran accepted under the 2015 deal with major powers in return for relief from international sanctions will be gradually removed as of 2025. At issue on Perry's trip is what is known as a "123 agreement".
Under the agreements, foreign countries can buy US nuclear technology and the nuclear know-how that comes with it if they agree not to enrich uranium and reprocess plutonium. Both can be used for nuclear weapons fuel.
Without one, US nuclear energy firms would lose out on business opportunities with the Saudis.
The irony that an agreement designed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon lets it do more than its rivals is not lost on Saudi Arabia—or other countries that have voluntarily limited the scope of their programs.
Tehran has rejected the allegations of any military aspects to its nuclear program, insisting that it is for peaceful purposes only.
Saudis, who are among the US closest allies, are now asking a question: If Iran can enrich, why can't we?
At least 23 countries have such agreements with Washington, including South Korea, South Africa, and Vietnam. While Trump has aggressively courted the Saudi government, there is near universal agreement among national security experts that allowing any country to introduce nuclear weapons in the volatile Middle East would be a terrible idea.
But there are also concerns a US-Saudi disagreement will lead the kingdom to turn to US rivals Russia and China, whose state-owned nuclear companies are competing to build reactors in Saudi Arabia. That would give the United States even less insight into Saudi Arabia's nuclear activities in the future.
The overlapping issues have Iran deal opponents insisting tougher rules on Iran is the easiest solution.
