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Israel to the US: Concerned about new developments in Saudi Arabia's nuclear program

Defense officials have approached Washington amid fears of cooperation between Riyadh and Beijing, as part of which a facility for the production of raw materials for uranium enrichment has been set up. The facility indicates Saudi Arabia's attempts to advance a nuclear program that may become military in the future. Senior Israeli: "Worrying Sign"

• Saudi Arabia
• China
• nucleus

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Senior members of the defense establishment and the Israeli intelligence community have in recent days addressed their colleagues in the US administration and expressed great concern about the cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China in the nuclear field, senior Israeli officials said. As part of the cooperation, a plant for the production of raw materials for the enrichment of uranium in the Saudi desert near the capital Riyadh was secretly established. The Saudi-Chinese collaboration was revealed about two weeks ago in publications in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, which included satellite footage of the plant.

Israel considers Saudi Arabia one of its main allies vis-à-vis Iran and maintains highly sensitive secret relations with it. Israel also hopes that Saudi Arabia will follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates and advance normalization measures vis-à-vis Israel or at least encourage other Gulf states to take such measures. Senior Israeli officials noted that because of this, the Prime Minister's Office treats the Saudi issue with great political sensitivity for fear of damaging relations.

The Israeli intelligence community, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Intelligence, the Ministry of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission are monitoring developments in the Saudi nuclear program, but the Prime Minister's Office has instructed all these parties not to address the issue in public.

"There are worrying signs, but it is not yet so clear to us what exactly is happening at this facility," said a senior Israeli official who deals with the issue. "It is also not so clear to the Americans and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) what is happening there and the IAEA people intend to check this with the Saudis."

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The exposed facility is estimated to be used in the West to extract uranium ore to produce what is known as a "yellow cake" - a necessary raw material in the uranium enrichment process. This is an initial and early stage only, the practice of which does not constitute a violation of the Convention on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and which Saudi Arabia is not obliged to declare to the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, the move points to Saudi Arabia's active attempts to advance an independent nuclear program that may in the future become a military nuclear program.

Senior Israeli officials estimated that Saudi Arabia had resorted to covert cooperation with China because the Chinese did not demand guarantees that the Saudi nuclear program would be purely civil, as the United States demands. The Saudis have been in talks with the Trump administration in recent years over the purchase of nuclear reactors but refuse the US demand to commit not to carry out independent uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia and allow American oversight of nuclear facilities.

In Jerusalem, it is estimated that the leaks to the American media stem from criticism that is heard from both Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress regarding Saudi Arabia in general and its nuclear program in particular. The Trump administration, and especially the White House, maintains close ties with Saudi Arabia and almost completely avoids criticizing it.

Assessment: The leak to the media - due to criticism in Congress

Senior Israeli officials estimated that Saudi Arabia had resorted to covert cooperation with China, as the Chinese did not demand guarantees that the Saudi nuclear program would be purely civilian, as required by the United States.

The Saudis have been in talks with the Trump administration in recent years over the purchase of nuclear reactors, but refuse the American demand to commit not to carry out independent uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia and allow American oversight of nuclear facilities.

In Jerusalem, it is estimated that the leaks to the American media stem from criticism voiced by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress regarding Saudi Arabia in general and its nuclear program in particular. The Trump administration, and especially the White House, maintains close ties with Saudi Arabia, and almost completely avoids criticizing it.

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