Israeli officials warn US-Saudi deal could lead to nuclear weapons, discourage Israel normalization
The agreement would let Saudi Arabia expand civilian nuclear power and could require a 90-day congressional review amid fears of a regional arms race.
- On Thursday, the Trump administration submitted a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress for a 90-day review, allowing Riyadh to enrich uranium without 'gold standard' safeguards.
- Unlike the 2009 Obama-era agreement with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia pursued nuclear cooperation to diversify energy sources, though this arrangement lacks strict anti-proliferation provisions.
- Former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman warned the program 'will end in nuclear weapons and will lead to a crazy arms race throughout the entire Middle East,' reflecting alarm among Israeli officials.
- The deal undermines normalization leverage, leading former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to characterize it as 'a grave strategic failure that endangers Israel's security' by reducing Saudi incentive to normalize relations.
- Amid ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Iranian hostilities, experts argue the arrangement grants Saudi Arabia foundational options to eventually pursue nuclear weapons 'should they feel the need.
52 Articles
52 Articles
For decades, Jerusalem was in a position to have only one nuclear-weapon state in the region, and the American-Saudi nuclear agreement could call this doctrine into question.
der Standard AT
der Standard DEBenjamin Netanyahu's government sees the agreement as a threat to the country's security. It is hoped that it will still be able to prevent or at least change it.
Iranian Media Links US-Saudi Nuclear Deal to 9/11 Attacks, Slamming Washington's 'Double Standards'
Iranian state media and government officials have furiously condemned the newly announced US-Saudi nuclear deal, accusing Washington of hypocrisy by granting atomic capabilities to a nation they directly link to the September 11 attacks. The hardline newspaper Hamshahari spearheaded the backlash this week, slamming the agreement as a dangerous concession. The rhetoric out of Tehran reflects a profound regional anxiety over the pact, which grants…
The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement aimed at helping the kingdom build its first nuclear power program, but critics warn the deal could increase security risks and fuel a new nuclear arms race.
The United States has reached an agreement to sell American nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. The timing and a very special condition are raising fears of a full-scale nuclear race in the Middle East.
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