U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday (July 23) that any future U.S. civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia would include safeguards to ensure the technology “cannot ever be turned into a weapons program.”

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Manila, Rubio said Riyadh was an important strategic partner and that any agreement would require congressional approval.

The U.S. Energy Department said on Wednesday (July 22) that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have reached a landmark agreement on civil nuclear power, a deal that would allow the kingdom to build nuclear reactors using American technology and to enrich uranium.

The energy department said the deal now goes to Congress. Unless Congress raises votes to object to the deal within 90 session days, the deal will go into force. But it would need to have a two-thirds majority to override a presidential veto.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Rubio: Any nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, others will have safeguards in place

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, GIVING REMARKS AT ASEAN GATHERING

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (JULY 23, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. FLAGS OF ASEAN MEMBER NATIONS

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“I think it was in November of last year when the Energy Department entered into this agreement. So the details are there. Obviously, if and when the official announcement is made, it will have to go through a congressional notification process and then we can talk more in-depth about it. But suffice it to say that the U.S. is always looking for cooperation agreements with allies. I mean, Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner of the United States, and I think without speaking and specificity about that deal, but in general, they were not the only country in the world that offers nuclear technology, and when countries decide they want to pursue a peaceful civil nuclear program, we prefer them do it with us than do it with some other country.”

3. WHITE FLASH

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“It allows us to have influence over the direction that it goes. It allows us to make sure that there are safeguards in place, things of this nature. And in the case of Saudi Arabia, they've been an important strategic partner for us. It would make sense for us to enter into such an agreement. But obviously the details of it, once it's released, you'll see it, you'll be able to understand it, and more importantly, it'll go through its congressional review process, which is a key part of this, you know, and, so it'll be a lot more questions answered at that time.”

5. WHITE FLASH

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“I'll let the agreement speak for itself. Suffice it to say that any agreement that we're going to make with any country in the world on civil nuclear energy is going to be one that we'll have safeguards in place to ensure that it can't be turned into a weapons program. And one of the best safeguards is to make sure that American technology and American companies are the ones that are involved in doing it. If, on the other hand, a country pursues nuclear technology with another country, well, then we don't really control those safeguards. So, again, Saudi Arabia seeks to have a peaceful civil nuclear program. Other countries do as well. We have a similar agreement in place now with the U.A.E, and U.S. companies are the world standard in providing that.”

7. WHITE FLASH

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“So we are always looking for opportunities, by the way, not just in, you know, conventional reactors, but in small modular reactors, which is an area that we are increasingly around, signing MOUs all over the world to help do as well, to countries that are exploring civil, peaceful nuclear energy. The United States wants to be the partner of choice, and we're always looking for opportunities to be able to make sure that our technology and our companies are the ones that are providing that.”

9. WHITE FLASH

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“Any agreement that we would make on civil nuclear energy with Saudi Arabia or any other country is going to have safeguards in place to ensure that those cannot ever be turned into a weapons program. I mean, that's that's the gold standard. And obviously we live in a new era. There are competitors that we face, so we'll have to adjust individual deals to that reality. We're not the only show in town, but we're the best show in town. But we want to be, we want to make sure that it's our companies they're picking. "

11. WHITE FLASH

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO, SAYING:

“So again, we understand any deal we enter into with any country will have to go through a congressional review process. And so we will ensure that in order to get congressional approval, we're going to need to have those safeguards in place, whether they're structured differently, how they are from other deals in the past or not will depend on the individual deal.”

13. WHITE FLASH

14. RUBIO LEAVING