US Media Reports Saudi Arabia Retains Nuclear Weapons Option Amidst Oversight Concerns

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Washington Post has reported that Saudi Arabia continues to keep the option of acquiring nuclear weapons on its agenda, based on intelligence assessments presented to the U.S. Congress. This report, compiled from classified documents, indicates that the so-called “U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal” has reduced oversight limitations and conceded to Riyadh’s demands.

In this context, a group of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, warning that this agreement, by facilitating the uranium enrichment process, effectively paves the way for Saudi Arabia’s development of nuclear weapons. They noted that the administration of President Donald Trump departed from standard procedures in this agreement, imposing fewer restrictions.

Conversely, the U.S. Department of State has refuted these claims, stating that Washington has not and will not support any military nuclear program by Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, had previously emphasized the peaceful nature and high transparency of his country’s nuclear activities.

The proposed 30-year agreement, submitted to Congress in August, is currently undergoing a 90-day review period. Critics believe that this plan does not prohibit Saudi Arabia from enriching or reprocessing nuclear fuel, processes that have the potential to produce materials necessary for constructing nuclear weapons.