Saudi Enrichment Would Trigger a Nuclear Arms Race
Former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has condemned the proposed American nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia. In his view, a deal allowing Riyadh to enrich uranium on its territory represents a red line that will eventually trigger an unsustainable nuclear arms race in the region.
Similarly, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak pointed out that the draft agreement does not contain any commitment from the Saudis to normalize relations with Israel, indicating the lack of trust between Netanyahu and Trump. This omission signals a clear loss of trust between Jerusalem and Washington, and confirms that the Americans are willing to proceed without factoring Netanyahu’s strategic red lines into the equation.
Saudi Arabia has ample supplies of uranium. According to Chinese and Saudi geological surveys, the Arabian Shield stores more than 90,000 tonnes of uranium. Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman has stated on several occasions that Riyadh wants to establish a complete nuclear fuel cycle, from mining and yellowcake lixiviation to enrichment and fuel production for its reactors. At the same time, the Arabian nation is preparing to........
