The announcement put the spotlight on the kingdom's nascent nuclear energy efforts — Saudi Arabia has a small nuclear reactor, a research unit set up with the help of Argentina, that it has not yet put into operation. The Saudi energy minister did not comment on whether his country would also join the IAEA's Additional Protocol, which requires more thorough oversight including snap inspections. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a recent wide-ranging interview with Fox News that if Iran developed nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would too. U.S. assistance with a nuclear energy program is one of Saudi Arabia's key demands — but not everyone is happy about that. The multilateral Obama-era deal had allowed the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear program.

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