A classified US intelligence assessment's conclusions have been reported in The Washington Post at the end of this week, and the report says that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing nuclear weapons.
The report comes as Congress is scrutinizing President Trump's controversial nuclear cooperation agreement with Riyadh, which was signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright in July. The classified intel has not been released by the Post - but the publication says the assessment was presented to Congress as part of the nuclear deal review.
The landmark (what is supposed to be) civil 30-year nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia could be worth tens of billions of dollars and put American companies at the center of the kingdom's nuclear buildout
A Section 123 agreement creates a legal framework for peaceful use, safeguards, and nonproliferation. The admin's reasoning goes that American involvement also gives Washington more influence over Riyadh's program than it would have if Saudi Arabia turned to China or Russia.
However, according to the Washington Post, Congressional leaders are alarmed at lack of appropriate safeguards and significant departure from precedent.
A group of Democratic senators led by Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Jeff Merkley of Oregon have made their deep unease known in a letter submitted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.
They are raising the alarm over a process "that is all but certain to allow Riyadh to acquire the means to enrich uranium and possibly develop nuclear weapons."
Sen. Markey has been most outspoken, calling the arrangement "bogus as hell" - as he sees Washington as acquiescing to Saudi demands which point to a secret intentions to keeping open a path to a nuke. He also alleges some insider quid pro quo involving unelected officials close to Trump.
"If they’ve given up the intent to develop a nuclear weapon, then they’d give up domestic enrichment and reprocessing power, right? They'd accept massive inspections from the IAEA," the lawmaker from Massachusetts said.
The senators are also worried that this will only affirm Iran's defiance, especially if they decide to covertly develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran will feel more justified amid a potential Middle East atomic arms race.
"It is very clear that as this war in Iran continues to unfold, that the Iranians are going to fiercely defend their ability to develop a nuclear weapons program, and as a result, any action that we take in Saudi Arabia will only further accelerate a fallout nuclear arms race in the region," Markey said additionally.
As for the letter from the Democratic senators, it hit out hard at shady dealings with the Saudis by Trump's family and inner-circle.
"Jared Kushner, for example, accepted a $2 billion investment from a Saudi sovereign wealth fund after leaving the White House at the end of the first Trump Administration," the letter says.
"Westinghouse Electric, meanwhile, stands to make tens of billions of dollars if this agreement moves forward. Westinghouse’s majority owner is closely associated with Newmark, the real estate firm run and owned in part by the sons of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick," it also says.