US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saudi Arabia is seeking a 'peaceful, civil nuclear programme', according to a breaking report. The statement follows his earlier remarks that the US wants to partner with countries exploring nuclear energy, including Saudi Arabia.
At 12:34 Jerusalem, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Saudi Arabia is seeking a 'peaceful, civil nuclear programme,' according to a breaking report. The statement follows a series of developments earlier Thursday: at 10:56, the US signed a 30-year civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that enables uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, as The Zioneer reported. Rubio then addressed the deal, confirming it includes security and oversight measures, and later said the US wants to partner with countries exploring nuclear energy, specifically mentioning Saudi Arabia.
The initial deal signing was reported at 10:56, with Rubio's comments on security measures and partnership following at the same time. A separate report at 11:23 Jerusalem further quoted Rubio on the US partnership intent. The latest statement at 12:34 marks a direct confirmation from Rubio of Saudi Arabia's own pursuit of a civilian nuclear program, evolving from reports of the signing to on-record remarks by the secretary.
The US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal, signed Thursday, meets US nonproliferation standards but has drawn concern from Israeli officials and US lawmakers who fear enrichment capabilities could be used for military purposes, as The Zioneer reported at 10:56. The deal will be reviewed by Congress. Opposition MK Avigdor Liberman warned that the program would lead to nuclear weapons and an arms race, as The Zioneer reported on July 22.
Details of Rubio's latest statement remain limited, and the original source of the report has not been independently verified. The specific parameters of Saudi Arabia's nuclear programme and the timeline for congressional review are still unclear.
4 developments
- ConfirmedUS Energy Secretary details economic rationale behind Saudi nuclear deal
- DevelopingRubio: Any civilian nuclear deal will include safeguards to prevent weaponization
- DevelopingUS expects 'black box' safeguards to prevent Saudi nuclear weapons program, officials say
- DevelopingUS Secretary of State says US aims for diplomatic settlement with Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake