Jakarta, ThedailyID — Israeli officials have voiced concern after the United States approved a civilian nuclear cooperation program that would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
The proposed program focuses on civilian energy production rather than nuclear weapons.
However, some Israeli officials fear Saudi Arabia could eventually use the technology for military purposes.
The proposed facilities would allow uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Critics argue that those capabilities require strict oversight to prevent potential misuse.
The agreement, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has also raised questions about regional diplomacy.
Under former President Joe Biden, Washington linked civilian nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia to the kingdom’s potential normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel.
Reports indicate that the Trump administration plans to move forward without making normalization a formal condition. Neither Washington nor Riyadh has officially announced the agreement.
According to Reuters, the proposal will go before the U.S. Congress. Lawmakers can block the deal only with a two-thirds majority vote.
Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar said he had raised Israel’s concerns with U.S. officials. However, he did not specify whether the reported agreement crossed Israel’s security red lines.
Zohar added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to discuss the issue with his advisers and national security officials.
Opposition leaders criticized the reported agreement. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman warned that a civilian nuclear program could eventually lead to Saudi Arabia acquiring nuclear weapons and trigger a regional arms race.
Meanwhile, Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s Democratic Party, described the reported agreement as a dangerous development. He argued that Israel risked losing both a normalization opportunity and leverage over Saudi Arabia’s nuclear ambitions.
Analysts at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) noted that the Biden administration had previously tied nuclear cooperation directly to normalization efforts between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
