Saudi Arabia’s Warning: “Will Use Nuclear Weapons If Iran Does…”

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Wednesday that the normalization of relations with Israel is drawing closer. He also issued a warning that if Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would pursue them as well. In an interview with Fox News, the Crown Prince denied that Saudi Arabia had suspended US-brokered talks with Israel, emphasizing their ongoing engagement.

The Crown Prince expressed the importance of making progress in addressing the rights of Palestinians, especially with concerns about Israel’s hard-right government pursuing contentious settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Normalization of relations with Israel is a significant diplomatic goal, given Saudi Arabia’s role as the guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites. Israel has already established normalized relations with five Arab nations.

Both Saudi Arabia and Israel, along with other Arab states, share mutual concerns and hostility toward Iran, which is a Shiite clerical state and a frequent rival to Saudi Arabia.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often referred to as MBS, reiterated Saudi Arabia’s position that they would seek nuclear weapons if Iran were to acquire them. This statement underscores the kingdom’s security concerns.

Saudi Arabia has been seeking security guarantees from the United States, potentially through a treaty, in exchange for normalizing relations with Israel.

Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons, but it has breached agreed-upon limits on uranium enrichment since the United States, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the 2015 international agreement designed to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

Israel is the region’s sole nuclear weapons state, though it has not officially declared its nuclear capabilities.

President Joe Biden discussed Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The Biden administration’s Middle East diplomatic efforts have faced challenges, particularly in its relationship with Netanyahu’s government in Israel. Netanyahu has faced criticism within Israel for judicial reforms that some view as undermining Israeli democracy.

Despite these challenges, Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a transformative event, potentially stabilizing the region and fostering greater integration and cooperation.

However, he also acknowledged that achieving this normalization remains a complex task.