Saudi Arabia threatens to match Iran's nuclear capabilities
'Whatever the Iranians have, we will have, too,' Saudi prince warns ahead of impending nuclear deal

Saudi Arabia has promised to match the nuclear enrichment capabilities Iran is allowed under a possible deal with the West, raising fears of a regional arms race.
"Whatever the Iranians have, we will have, too," Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal, the 70-year-old former intelligence chief, said at a recent conference.
The controversial agreement over Iran's nuclear weapons programme is expected to be signed soon, though its success is still far from guaranteed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The six Arab powers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, are at a summit in the US, where Obama will attempt to reassure leaders that their security concerns are taken into account.
Saudi King Salman pulled out of the talks at the last minute, sending the crown prince instead, and although officials said the king had decided to remain in Riyadh to focus on the five-day ceasefire in Yemen, it has been interpreted by many as a deliberate snub over the Iran deal.
Saudi Arabia isn't alone in its desire to match Iran's nuclear capabilities. "Many of the smaller Arab states are now vowing to match whatever nuclear enrichment capability Iran is permitted to retain," says the New York Times.
"We can't sit back and be nowhere as Iran is allowed to retain much of its capability and amass its research," said one Arab leader ahead of the conference.
Obama's former nuclear advisor, Gary Samore, said a race was inevitable. "With or without a deal, there will be pressure for nuclear proliferation in the Middle East," he said "The question is one of capabilities. How would Saudis do this without help from the outside?"
The Times suggests that the kingdom might be forced to turn to Pakistan or North Korea to secure nuclear components. Although a deal with North Korea is highly unlikely, "it is widely presumed that Pakistan would provide Saudi Arabia with the technology, if not a weapon itself," says the newspaper.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
How developed was Iran's nuclear program and what's left now?
Today's Big Question Israel and the United States have said different things about Iran's capabilities
-
Trump gives himself 2 weeks for Iran decision
Speed Read Trump said he believes negotiations will occur in the near future