U.S. intelligence assesses that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing nuclear weapons – WP

U.S. intelligence believes that Riyadh has not ruled out developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. agreement allows uranium enrichment to 20%.

Official response and confirmed impact

Secret documents provided to the U.S. Congress contain an assessment by the American intelligence community that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing a nuclear weapons program.

U.S. officials told The Washington Post, reports UNN.

This alarming intelligence forecast, the newspaper writes, has heightened concerns among some U.S. lawmakers about U.S. President Donald Trump's agreement to help Saudi Arabia create a civilian nuclear program, which they fear could facilitate the development of nuclear weapons and trigger an arms race in the unstable Middle East.

The nuclear agreement allows U.S. companies to begin implementing nuclear energy projects worth tens of billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia, which the administration hopes will strengthen U.S.-Saudi ties and prevent the kingdom from cooperating with U.S. adversaries such as Russia and China.

Announcing the agreement in July, the administration said it would "help strengthen the security of the United States and the region by upholding high standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation, while also strengthening the competitive advantages of the United States in civilian nuclear technologies."