Saudi Arabia Has Not Ruled Out Nuclear Weapons, US Intelligence Says
A classified assessment shared with Congress says Riyadh has not excluded a weapons program, according to U.S. officials. Lawmakers are reviewing a civil nuclear deal that could eventually permit uranium enrichment of up to 20%.
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U.S. intelligence assesses that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing a nuclear weapons program, according to officials familiar with classified documents provided to Congress.
The finding has sharpened scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s civil nuclear agreement with Riyadh.
The assessment does not say Saudi Arabia has decided to pursue a weapon.
However, it has added to lawmakers’ concerns about a deal that could eventually allow the kingdom to enrich uranium to nearly 20%, The Washington Post reported.
Enrichment Under Scrutiny
The agreement initially limits Saudi uranium enrichment to below 5%. That ceiling could rise to 20% after a further study and written agreement.
Some Democratic lawmakers fear the arrangement would give Riyadh capabilities that could be put to military use.
The deal would allow U.S. companies to pursue nuclear energy projects worth tens of billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia.
The administration says closer cooperation would strengthen ties and reduce the kingdom’s incentive to work with Russia or China.
Democratic senators led by Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley have challenged the enrichment provisions in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
They argue that the administration is easing restrictions and creating a route for Saudi Arabia to acquire sensitive nuclear capabilities.
The State Department offered a more confident view of the agreement’s safeguards in the classified material sent to Congress, according to the officials cited by The Post.
It said separately that the United States “does not and will not support a Saudi nuclear weapon program.”
Saudi Arabia’s government did not answer The Post’s questions directly.
It referred the newspaper to an earlier statement by Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, who said the country’s program would be peaceful and conducted with responsibility and transparency.
Inspection Questions
The agreement does not require Saudi Arabia to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol, which provides inspectors broader access to nuclear activities.
Nonproliferation experts say that omission would make it harder to investigate any undeclared facilities.
The question carries particular weight because of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s position on Iran.
“Without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we would follow suit as soon as possible,” he said in 2018.
Congress is partway through a 90-day review period and could vote to block the agreement. Any disapproval measure would need enough support to overcome a potential Trump veto.
A separate obstacle remains. A senior administration official said Trump still requires Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel as a condition of the deal.
Analysts cited by The Post consider that unlikely, while Israel’s government rules out a Palestinian state.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
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