Russia Says Saudi Arabia Not Tempted To Pursue Nuclear Arms

Russia, in response to the recent comments by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, stated that no one desires the emergence of new nuclear powers in the world.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, described Riyadh's expressed interest in acquiring nuclear weapons as a "factual statement," but he deemed it unlikely for the country to pursue the path.

Lavrov's remarks were in reference to a statement made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. In his interview with Fox News, the Saudi Crown Prince referring to Iran’s nuclear program stated, “If they get one, we have to get one, for security reasons and the balance of power in the Middle East.”

However, the Russian foreign minister said Moscow believes that "Iran will not have nuclear weapons, so Saudi Arabia won’t be tempted to obtain them."

Furthermore, Lavrov accused Western countries of escalating tensions in international conflicts and expressed the view that the West is making every effort to prevent the formation of a multipolar world.

There have been reports that Mohammed bin Salman has approached the Biden administration seeking assistance in establishing a civilian nuclear program for his country. Some US officials harbor concerns that such a program could potentially serve as a guise for developing nuclear weapons as a countermeasure against Iran.