US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Unnerves, Isolates Israel

Among the critical voices on the new nuclear cooperation agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia are opposition leaders and former officials in Israel, which seems to have been shut out of the deal. Israelis are nervous on a couple of fronts, the New York Times reports. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman formally signed the deal Wednesday. "These agreements reflect our two nations' shared commitment to strengthening US-Saudi commercial relations," Wright said, per the AP. He added, "Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation."

Israeli officials said they were blindsided and see the deal as another signal that Washington is increasingly willing to act over Israel's objections, including on strategy in the Iran war. Concerns include possible proliferation in the Middle East, per the Times. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said "enriching nuclear material on Saudi territory could prompt a nuclear race in the region, leading to a total breakdown." Analysts also say Turkey and the UAE now could seek similar nuclear rights. Trump administration officials are demonstrating that "they will move ahead," an expert on US-Israeli relations at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv said, "regardless of whether Israel's red line clashes with their own."