US intelligence says Saudi Arabia has not abandoned its nuclear weapons ambitions
US intelligence says Saudi Arabia has not abandoned its nuclear weapons ambitions
TEHRAN — Classified U.S. intelligence submitted to Congress reveals that Saudi Arabia has not abandoned plans to develop nuclear weapons, according to a Washington Post report citing American officials.
The assessment, published in the paper on September 25, arrived alongside State Department briefing documents reviewing the Trump administration’s 30-year “civil nuclear cooperation agreement” with Riyadh, exposing blatant double standards in American foreign policy.
The deal is undergoing a 90-day congressional review period, where House Democrats have already introduced a joint resolution of disapproval to block it.
The agreement signed under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act initially limits Saudi uranium enrichment below five percent, but permits an increase to 20 percent after further joint review.
Crucially, the agreement fails to require Riyadh to sign the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, depriving international inspectors of snap access to undeclared facilities.
20 nonproliferation experts, including former IAEA director general Hans Blix, warned Congress in a joint letter that omitting the Additional Protocol makes covert weapons development nearly impossible to detect.
Democratic senators Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, writing that Washington is “caving to Saudi demands by agreeing to a process that is all but certain to allow Riyadh to acquire the means to enrich uranium and possibly develop nuclear weapons.”
Senator Merkley called claims of a purely civilian program bogus, noting that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman previously warned the kingdom would build a bomb “if Iran acquired one.”
The contrast with Iran highlights deep Western hypocrisy. The Islamic Republic has categorically ruled out non-conventional weapons, adhering to a binding religious decree issued by the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Continuous IAEA inspections have consistently verified the peaceful character of Iran’s energy infrastructure. Nevertheless, Washington and Tel Aviv have bombed Iranian facilities under baseless pretexts.
Additionally, lucrative financial incentives appear to eclipse proliferation concerns.
The arrangement opens tens of billions of dollars in construction contracts for American nuclear vendors, notably Westinghouse Electric.
Lawmakers highlighted that Westinghouse’s majority owner shares close ties with Newmark, a real estate firm run by the sons of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The senators also pointed out that former White House envoy Jared Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund shortly after leaving office.
While Washington has subjected peaceful Iranian infrastructure to aggressive strikes and illegal sanctions, it has agreed to actively equip a dynastic rentier monarchy with the tools needed to construct a nuclear arsenal.
source: tehrantimes.com