The Saudi Nuclear Threat

Tzachi Hanegbi analyzes the security threat posed by Saudi Arabia's ambition to establish a uranium enrichment facility, against the backdrop of the US-Saudi negotiations for a defense agreement and normalization with Israel, which were halted after the October 7 massacre.

Tzachi Hanegbi, former Minister for Strategic Affairs, analyzes in his article the security danger facing Israel from Saudi Arabia's ambition to establish a uranium enrichment facility on its soil. He describes the trilateral negotiations between the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia that took place in 2023 at the initiative of President Biden, during which a complex agreement was formulated that included Saudi recognition of Israel, a US-Saudi defense agreement, and a regional economic corridor. The main obstacle was the Saudi demand to establish an enrichment facility, which would allow it in the future to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. Israel and the US strongly opposed. Hanegbi notes that the October 7 massacre halted the dialogue, and now, under the Trump administration, details have leaked about a US-Saudi agreement that may allow Saudi Arabia a civilian nuclear program without close supervision, bypassing Israel. He expresses concern that Israel is being marginalized from the process and warns of the erosion of its regional status and deterrence capability.

The Saudi Nuclear Threat