‘Doing a North Korea’? Why the Middle East could be entering a new nuclear age

The Middle East appears to be entering a new nuclear age, with Saudi Arabia and Turkey potentially acquiring American uranium enrichment technology, while Iran may withdraw from the treaty barring it from creating atomic bombs. After the United States and Israel threatened air strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, citing their attempts to reconstruct atomic bomb production capabilities, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of severe consequences.

The US and Israeli actions followed the CSIS study claim that Iran was developing a nuclear program at its Pickaxe Mountain facility. Despite disputes over the study's credibility, it coincided with the IAEA board of governors referring Iran's case to the UN Security Council for the first time in 20 years. The resolution accused Iran of non-compliance with the NPT due to its lack of transparency regarding its highly enriched uranium stockpile and refusal to allow IAEA inspectors access.

Iran's hardliners argued that this move would push countries toward withdrawing from the NPT. Analysts expressed concerns that the US-Israeli attacks could encourage Tehran to withdraw from the treaty. However, Iran's ability to weaponize its nuclear program is seen as constrained by technical obstacles rather than a lack of political will.

The US and Saudi Arabia recently agreed to develop Saudi Arabia's nuclear power industry, sparking concerns about potential future uranium enrichment activities.