U.S. Intelligence Has Identified Yet Another Country That Wants To Develop Nuclear Weapons
- 26.09.2026, 8:36
Congress received a document confirming the forecast.
The U.S. Congress received an intelligence report stating that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out the possibility of developing a nuclear weapons program.
This was reported by The Washington Post.
The grim assessments by U.S. intelligence have heightened concerns among some lawmakers regarding President Donald Trump’s agreement to assist Saudi Arabia in establishing a civilian nuclear program. They believe this could facilitate the development of nuclear weapons and trigger an arms race in the Middle East.
The Washington Post noted that the nuclear deal allows American companies to launch nuclear energy projects worth millions of dollars in Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration hopes this will strengthen U.S.-Saudi ties and prevent the kingdom from cooperating with U.S. adversaries such as Russia and China.
“(The deal—ed.) will help strengthen U.S. and regional security by upholding high standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation, as well as by enhancing the United States’ competitiveness in the field of civilian nuclear technology,” - the Trump administration stated when announcing the agreement in July.
However, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers are expressing concerns that the deal would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium to nearly 20 percent, heightening fears that some of the nuclear material could be used for military purposes.
Currently, a 90-day review period is underway in the U.S. Congress, and lawmakers can pass legislation to block the deal if they manage to secure sufficient support.
“With this agreement, the Trump administration is breaking with precedent by accepting weaker restrictions and yielding to Saudi Arabia’s demands, agreeing to a process that will almost certainly allow Riyadh to acquire the means to enrich uranium and, possibly develop nuclear weapons,” a group of Democratic senators led by Senators Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley stated in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.
According to sources, the State Department contributed to the preparation of classified documents sent to Congress last month. They say the State Department appears more confident in the safeguards provided by the deal and the assurances from the Saudi Arabian government.
The WP reports that it did not receive direct responses from the Saudi Arabian government, but the Cabinet forwarded earlier statements by Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman. He said the program would be “peaceful” and would be developed “with the highest level of responsibility and transparency.”
For its part, the U.S. State Department told the WP that the United States “does not support and will not support a Saudi program to develop nuclear weapons.”