Avigdor Lieberman Warns Saudi Civil Nuclear Deal Will Lead to Nuclear Weapons

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Israeli political party Yisrael Beiteinu, responded on Wednesday to reports of a pending civil nuclear agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Lieberman warned that the deal would inevitably lead to Saudi Arabia acquiring nuclear weapons and trigger a dangerous arms race across the Middle East. He urged Israel to oppose the agreement and to act decisively with the U.S. Congress to block it. "We must all understand that Saudi Arabia's civil nuclear program will end with nuclear weapons and lead to a mad arms race throughout the entire Middle East," Lieberman stated. "The State of Israel must clearly and firmly oppose this. The Israeli government needs to act resolutely before the American Congress to halt this move." The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump officially approved the historic civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, which will allow Riyadh to develop a civil nuclear program including uranium enrichment. The agreement, expected to be signed imminently, will last 30 years and is valued at tens of billions of dollars. U.S. officials said the deal aims to give American companies a central role in building Saudi Arabia's nuclear infrastructure while limiting foreign competitors. A key provision permits American firms to establish a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia, contingent on joint U.S.-Saudi assessments confirming the necessity of such a step. According to U.S. sources, the agreement is designed to give the U.S. influence over Saudi Arabia's nuclear program and prevent misuse of nuclear materials for military purposes.