Saudi minister says kingdom could seek nukes if Iran obtains them

Saudi Arabia could seek nuclear weapons if Iran was to obtain a nuclear strike capability, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir told the German DPA agency.

The agency did not specify when the interview took place, only saying it happened recently.

Nuclear armament was “an option” for the Gulf kingdom, the official said, warning that if Tehran developed nuclear arms, more states would do the same.

“Saudi Arabia has made it very clear, that it will do everything it can to protect its people and to protect its territories,” he asserted.

The minister also urged more sanctions on Tehran, saying that Iran appears to only respond when put under pressure.

Iran has been increasingly walking back on its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, prompting fresh fears over the prospect of a nuke added to its arsenal.

It said, however, that it would fully commit to the deal if the next US administration removes the sanctions reimposed on Tehran after US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord in 2018.

While the presumptive US President-elect Joe Biden is apparently in favor of reinstating the US membership in the deal, Saudi Arabia is among the Gulf states who seek a more confrontational approach from the US.