US Intelligence Assessment Says Saudi Arabia Kept Nuclear Weapons Option Open, US Media Reports

A classified US intelligence assessment concluded that Saudi Arabia has kept open the option of pursuing nuclear weapons, according to the Washington Post, as reported by Anadolu Agency.

The assessment was reportedly transmitted to Capitol Hill and has prompted pushback from members of Congress over a proposed civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia, the report said.

Specific findings not detailed

The available report did not specify the particular evidence or activities underlying the intelligence assessment, nor did it name the lawmakers or congressional committees raising objections to the civil nuclear agreement.

It also did not include a response from the Saudi government, which has previously said its civil nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, or from the US State Department regarding the status of the proposed cooperation agreement.

Civil nuclear cooperation agreements, often called "123 agreements" under US law, typically include restrictions intended to prevent recipient countries from developing enrichment or reprocessing capabilities that could be used toward weapons development, though the report did not specify what terms are under discussion for a US-Saudi agreement.

Further details on the timeline for the proposed agreement and the broader congressional response were not included in the available report.