Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that it would seek to acquire a nuclear weapon if regional rival Iran does the same following President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.
The Agence France-Presse reported that Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Wednesday that the country would do “everything we can” to build a nuclear bomb in that situation.
Wednesday’s comments echo ones from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman comments in March, when he told “60 Minutes” that Saudi Arabia “does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb,” but added that “if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.”
The Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran have long had tense relations, including backing opposing sides in Middle East conflicts such as those in Syria and Iraq, in what many outside experts consider a de facto proxy war.
Saudi Arabia has expressed support for the U.S. pulling out of the nuclear deal, saying it did not adequately address Iran’s behavior in the region. – READ MORE
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