US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Sparks Israeli Security Concerns Over Regional Arms Race

On Thursday, Saudi media celebrated a historic agreement signed the previous night between the United States and Saudi Arabia, allowing the kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear program including uranium enrichment on its soil. The deal, framed as a decades-long partnership strengthening US-Saudi ties, has raised significant concerns in Israel, especially since Washington did not require Saudi normalization with Israel as part of the agreement.

Saudi newspapers hailed the deal as a "historic nuclear agreement" enabling uranium enrichment for 30 years, while US reports noted the absence of the "gold standard" of strict international oversight designed to prevent military use of nuclear technology. The Wall Street Journal valued the deal at tens of billions of dollars, emphasizing American companies’ central role in building Saudi nuclear infrastructure and the potential establishment of a uranium enrichment facility pending joint US-Saudi approval.

Former Israeli security officials warn the agreement could set a dangerous precedent by granting a major Middle Eastern Arab state access to uranium enrichment technology, which shortens the path from civilian nuclear capability to potential military use. Abner Wilan, a nuclear expert, highlighted the risk of legitimizing threshold nuclear capabilities in the region, potentially triggering a regional arms race involving countries like Turkey and Egypt. He stressed the need for Israel to demand full IAEA additional protocol adoption, continuous oversight, and American control mechanisms to prevent irreversible Saudi autonomy over enrichment technology.

Israeli opposition leaders sharply criticized the government’s handling of the deal. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called it a severe strategic failure endangering Israeli security and warned of a regional nuclear arms race. Avigdor Lieberman, head of Israel Beiteinu, declared Israel must firmly oppose the civilian nuclear program, fearing it will inevitably lead to nuclear weapons. Democratic Party leader Yair Golan accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of losing Israel’s influence over critical security decisions, citing this deal as another example.

The agreement, long discussed during the Biden administration as part of a broader package including Saudi recognition of Israel, was ultimately separated by former President Trump from normalization demands after October 7. Israeli experts caution that without Israeli involvement in shaping security mechanisms and without clear strategic concessions, the deal risks destabilizing the region and undermining nonproliferation efforts.