After new statements by US President Donald Trump on Thursday morning, it is still unclear whether a controversial new dealwith Saudi Arabia that allows the Middle Eastern autocracy to establish a civilian nuclear program will go ahead.
Trump said the deal could only progress if Saudi Arabia normalized diplomatic relations with Israel. In the recent past, the Saudi government has repeatedly stated it would only do this if the Israelis make genuine moves toward establishing a Palestinian state. With the current Israeli government, that is unlikely to happen.
The deal must also be voted on by the US Congress and there's been backlash already, with critics saying it could set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
One of the main reasons experts are so worried is that in several years' time, the deal, as it stands now, may let the Saudis enrich their own uranium. The more uranium is enriched, the more it could potentially be diverted to make weapons. And in the past Saudi Arabian ruler Mohammed bin Salman has said that if Iran produces a nuclear bomb, then Saudi Arabia would need to have one too.
The majority of the approximately 38 countries with civilian nuclear energy programs don't enrich uranium. Instead they import it.
