Report: Israel Quietly Raising Alarm With US Over New Saudi Nuclear Developments

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump are seen during a G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov. 30, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Marcos Brindicci.

Israel is quietly raising alarm with United States over new developments in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program, Axios reported on Wednesday.

A specific concern is a reported deal struck by Saudi Arabia and China to build a facility that will produce yellowcake, which is used to enrich uranium.

A senior Israeli intelligence official was quoted saying there were “worrying signs about what the Saudis might be doing, but it is not exactly clear to us what’s going on in this facility.”

“The US and the International Atomic Energy Agency also don’t have a clear picture about what’s going on there, and they are in the process of clarifying it with the Saudis,” the official added.

Because of the normalization agreement reached last week by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which Jerusalem hopes will be followed by a similar deal with Riyadh, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be “treading carefully” with the Saudi nuclear issue.

However, there is growing concern because of the involvement of China, which, unlike the US, does not insist on its nuclear technology being used solely for peaceful purposes.