Between Nuclear Ambitions and Normalization: The US-Saudi Agreement
The US President has approved a historic agreement granting Saudi Arabia a civilian nuclear program, allowing for uranium enrichment on its territory with minimal oversight. According to Donald Trump, the deal is conditional upon Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. Michal Yaari of Ben-Gurion University analyzes the implications for regional containment of Iran and the prospects for normalization with Israel.
Listen to "The Headline" — the daily news podcast from Ynet. In this episode: the agreement between the USA and Saudi Arabia.
"Israel worked intensively for many years to promote relations with Saudi Arabia, and the USA, which also wanted to see these ties advance, made the nuclear program conditional on this. Last week, Donald Trump gave Saudi Arabia the opportunity to establish a civilian nuclear program — perhaps the greatest gift he could have provided. At first, it seemed the agreement was reached without progress toward official relations with Israel, but Donald Trump hastened to clarify that the deal is conditional on joining the Abraham Accords," explains Michal Yaari of Ben-Gurion University.
"The UAE previously received American approval for a civilian nuclear project, but on the condition that significant oversight mechanisms were implemented. In the Saudi model, if reports are accurate, the oversight mechanisms are very weak, if they exist at all. On the face of it, it seems the USA is allowing Saudi Arabia to do things it did not permit the UAE to do."
"For many years, Saudi Arabia understood that it and other Arab nations in the region were at a strategic disadvantage vis-à-vis Iran, and therefore adopted a policy of containment and appeasement. It tried to avoid upsetting Iran and giving it reasons to undermine stability. This policy was implemented successfully until the war. In parallel, it strengthened relations with the USA, relying on its protective umbrella in the event of an Iranian attack. Both concepts failed. The containment policy did not help Saudi Arabia, and the strategic umbrella provided only a partial response during the war. Saudi Arabia was left with the question: what can it do in the face of this reality?"
"Until October 7, there was significant movement toward normalization, and it was clear to both sides that the Palestinian issue would not interfere. After the war broke out, Saudi Arabia understood that the Palestinian issue is not just an emotional matter, but one concerning the most basic Saudi interests, first and foremost regional stability. Even if the war is taking place hundreds of kilometers away, it affects the Kingdom directly. This is a major shift: the war brought the Palestinian issue back to the center stage."
If you missed it: you are invited to listen to another of our episodes regarding the war of attrition in the Strait of Hormuz.
