Liberman Warns U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Spark Regional Arms Race

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman said Israel should oppose the reported U.S.-Saudi civil nuclear agreement, warning that uranium enrichment on Saudi soil could trigger a regional nuclear arms race. He told Kan that every military nuclear program begins as a civilian one and urged Israel and pro-Israel groups to press Congress to reject the pact. Former prime minister Ehud Barak said the reported absence of Saudi normalization signals deteriorating trust between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump. Barak added that Saudi enrichment could have been acceptable within a normalization deal under strict U.S. supervision.