Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his strong objection to Saudi Arabia acquiring a nuclear bomb, voicing caution over its planned nuclear program.
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump for attaching the condition that Riyadh must normalize relations with Israel to have a nuclear program, the former of which has been one of Netanyahu’s top priorities for years. In his praise, however, he snuck in caution around Saudi Arabia.
“I stress civilian because the last thing we want, and I’m sure the last thing the president wants, is a military program, nuclear program, in in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Though Israel has never confirmed as much, it is widely believed to be the only country in the Middle East to possess nuclear weapons. Israel has sought to maintain this nuclear monopoly as a foreign policy priority.
When asked how realistic a proposal it was, Netanyahu said he thought it was a distinct possibility, pointing to past accomplishments with the Abraham Accords.
On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he signed a multidecade, multibillion-dollar “peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement” with Saudi Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman. Both countries touted the agreement as a major step, with Riyadh gleefully welcoming the agreement as a leap in energy security and technological capabilities.
The day after, however, Trump announced that the nuclear deal was contingent on Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel.
“The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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Netanyahu also touched on the latest intelligence about Iran’s nuclear program, saying he would continue sharing any new intelligence with Trump.
“We constantly exchange information. Our intel services and yours are working so close together that it’s not that I’m going to present new information, but I think it’s a good thing to have the opportunity to sit with our good friend President Trump and to hear what he has in mind because I think in many ways it’s his decision,” he said.