Saudi Arabia May Have Nuclear Power To Counter Iran, Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir Hints

Saudi Arabia is not ruling out the possibilities of securing nuclear power of its own. The Saudi Ambassador to the United States indicated on Thursday that the country might create nuclear bombs so that a nuclear-armed Iran could be counterbalanced.

Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir earlier said that his country would not like to discuss publicly about acquiring nuclear power. However, when CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked him further on the issue, he said that Saudi Arabia would take whatever measures required for the protection of its security. He emphasised that the country would not compromise on two things: its faith and its security.

While the ambassador strongly refused to comment on his country going for nuclear power, he did not rule it out completely. He, however, said that the U.S. administration had disclosed “positive” details about the developing nuclear agreement with Iran. "I can't say that we like it, because we don't know the details," Adel said, "The assurances we have received from the administration have been positive but we want to see the details before we can make a judgment.”

The ambassador’s comments almost coincided with Saudi warplanes hitting Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital. Friday was the second day of the Saudi-led campaign to prevent the Shi'ite Muslim group from ruling the country.

According to residents, Saudi aircrafts targeted Republican Guards bases around Sanaa during dawn. One of the target areas was situated near the presidential compound in a southern district while another was near a military installation.

Adel said that the Middle Eastern nations were concerned about Iran potentially gaining nuclear power. However, the U.S. President Barack Obama apparently assured them that he would cut off “all paths leading to a nuclear weapon by Iran.” The U.S. administration has also assured them that it will conduct "very intrusive inspections" to prevent Iran’s nuclear program.

Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi earlier said that Saudi Arabia was a bad neighbour. He called the country as "Satan's horn." According to his televised speech, Yemen is going to confront Saudi’s "criminal, unjust and unjustified aggression."

Some believe that the Saudis may be moving toward a proxy war with Iran. The Saudi ambassador said that Iran’s behaviour was not “reassuring” to the people of the Middle East.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au