Classified documents delivered to Congress contain an assessment by the U.S. intelligence community that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out the possibility of developing a nuclear weapons program, according to American officials who spoke to The Washington Post.
The assessment has intensified concerns among some U.S. lawmakers regarding President Donald Trump's agreement to assist Saudi Arabia in establishing a civilian nuclear program. Lawmakers have expressed worry that the agreement could enable nuclear weapons development and trigger an arms race in the unstable Middle East region.
The nuclear agreement permits American companies to undertake nuclear energy projects in Saudi Arabia valued at tens of billions of dollars. The Trump administration has framed the arrangement as intended to strengthen U.S.-Saudi relations and prevent cooperation between Saudi Arabia and other nations in the nuclear sphere.
U.S. officials provided the classified assessment to lawmakers as part of congressional briefings on the nuclear deal. The intelligence community's conclusion that Saudi Arabia has not excluded a nuclear weapons program represents a significant concern for legislators who have questioned whether the civilian nuclear framework could be leveraged for military purposes.
The concerns raised by lawmakers center on the potential dual-use nature of nuclear technology and the possibility that civilian nuclear infrastructure could be repurposed for weapons development. The Middle East region has experienced tensions related to nuclear proliferation, and some lawmakers have warned that a Saudi nuclear weapons program could destabilize the area further.
The Trump administration has maintained that the nuclear agreement serves American strategic interests by deepening ties with Saudi Arabia and positioning American companies to lead in regional nuclear energy development. Officials have stated that the arrangement is designed to prevent Saudi Arabia from seeking nuclear cooperation with other countries that might be less restrictive in their oversight.