If the Saudi government’s prevarications about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder teach us anything, it should be that there are limits to how far the U.S. can trust Riyadh. In particular, America shouldn’t trust Saudi Arabia with nuclear technology.
The Obama administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran allowed Tehran to possess and develop nuclear power and uranium-enrichment technology and expertise. President Trump rightly scrapped the Iran nuclear deal. But last fall, in its desire to improve relations with Riyadh, the administration began negotiating a deal with Saudi Arabia that would grant it similar nuclear privileges.