Middle East expert Rosemary Kelanic says it’s “quite shocking” that the US is potentially signing a deal that will allow Saudi Arabia to have facilities to enrich uranium.
She references reported details of the deal, including the prospects that it may contain “potential co-operation” in building uranium enrichment facilities within Saudi territory.
“The US has never done that before, we have never helped another country enrich on their own soil,” she tells the BBC.
She says the reason for this is that “if you can produce your own nuclear fuel, you become a much bigger risk” for building nuclear weapons.
“The fear is that if Saudi Arabia starts enriching its own uranium, hardliners in Iran could be encouraged to secretly race to build a bomb, writes our security correspondent”
_______
OMG, like Iran isn’t already doing that as we all sit here. Captain Obvious.
I said here at the outset of the Iran war that if the Iranian regime there survived it would be even more highly motivated to pursue nuclear weapons at all costs. And that that would force the Saudis to respond by going nuclear themselves. It looks like (A) the Saudis are assessing that Iran will win the war, and (B) that Washington is acknowledging this, and rather than lose another ally is going along with their plans to go nuclear. What could go wrong?... sigh.
And it won’t end well for anyone.
If MBS wants a nuclear reactor, he’ll find someone to sell him one. Period. Full Stop.
The only way for the US to temper what the Saudi’s uses for the reactor might be are to get in on it from the ground floor and see to it the US is in control of its operation and oversight.
What is Donald J Trump smoking? !!
The Saudi’s have oil and natural gas to use.
They have ZERO need to nuclear power plants.