Resuming the nuclear arms deal with Iran, which former President Donald Trump canceled over concerns the Islamic state was cheating, has been one of President Joe Biden’s top priorities since taking office. Unluckily for Biden, the talks are breaking down. A significant US partner in the area has now released its alert over Tehran’s nuclear aspirations.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, addressed the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi on December 11. One of the concerns he had to answer was what would happen if Iran successfully developed a nuclear weapon. He responded directly, saying, “All bets are off,” according to Newsmax.
For almost a decade, there have been rumors that the Saudis made the payment contingent on Pakistan providing the Kingdom with nuclear weapons if necessary and having the weapons prepared for shipping. However, Saudi Arabia has a benefit. According to the BBC, the Kingdom provided a large portion of the funds for Pakistan’s nuclear program to develop a “Sunni bomb” to counter the threat posed by the Shia dictatorship in Iran, creating its own.
The Saudis haven’t been bashful in letting the US know their plans, either. If the religious rivals arm themselves with nuclear weapons, the Gulf will undoubtedly become even more deadly than it is already.