Saudi Arabia has not ruled out the possibility of launching a nuclear weapons program. This assessment is included in confidential documents submitted to Congress as part of the review of the U.S.-Saudi agreement to expand civilian nuclear cooperation.
Concerns of American Lawmakers
Assessments from U.S. intelligence agencies have raised concerns among some lawmakers regarding the agreement reached by the Trump administration. This agreement allows American companies to pursue projects worth tens of billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy sector. Additionally, this agreement may allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium up to 20 percent, while initially limiting enrichment to less than five percent.
Read more: Saudi Arabia has not abandoned its nuclear weapons program
Questions About Saudi Arabia's Nuclear Goals
Democratic senators led by Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley have expressed concerns in a letter to Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, that this agreement could give Saudi Arabia the potential for uranium enrichment and access to nuclear weapons. Merkley also pointed out that if Saudi Arabia's nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes, why does the country seek the capability to enrich uranium domestically?
In response to these concerns, the Saudi government referred to previous statements by Abdulaziz bin Salman, the country's Minister of Energy, who stated that this program would be "peaceful" and developed with "the highest level of responsibility and transparency." The U.S. State Department has also stated that the United States "does not support and will not support Saudi Arabia's nuclear weapons program."
Concerns about Saudi Arabia's nuclear ambitions date back to statements made by Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of the country, in 2018. At that time, he said that if Iran developed nuclear weapons, Riyadh would also pursue such weapons. This has fueled serious concerns among American lawmakers about the potential for an arms race in the region.
The Trump administration has stated that the purpose of the nuclear agreement is to strengthen U.S.-Saudi relations and prevent Riyadh from deepening cooperation with countries like Russia and China. This agreement could also impact U.S. efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
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