The former head of the Saudi intelligence service says Riyadh should acquire the knowledge to develop a nuclear bomb in order to defend itself.

Iran PressMiddle East: “I’ve publicly said in the past that we should do whatever is necessary, including acquiring the knowledge to develop a [nuclear] bomb, in order to defend ourselves against a potential nuclear-armed Iran,” Prince Turki al-Faisal said during an interview with MSNBC when asked whether the Saudis would develop nuclear weapons.

He also called on the US to impose more sanctions on Iran instead of trying to revive the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which would remove the existing sanctions on Tehran.

“I am not in the government to say what the government is going to do, but this is my personal opinion,” Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief added.

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Iran calls for Saudi Arabia to be held accountable for its covert nuclear activities

Iran has always maintained that its nuclear program is for solely peaceful purposes and that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons.

Issuing a fatwa (religious decree), the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has also declared that the acquisition, development, and use of nuclear weapons violate Islamic principles and are therefore forbidden.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with help from China, built a facility for the extraction of uranium yellowcake, a potential precursor to fuel for a nuclear reactor, in a remote desert location near the small city of Al Ula, the Wall Street Journal newspaper reported last year citing Western officials with knowledge of the site. 

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Iran ambassador warns Saudi Arabia's covert nuclear program