Saudi Nuclear Posture After the 12-Day War

A fictional war between Israel and Iran has renewed the debate over nuclear deterrence in the Middle East, prompting Saudi Arabia to reinforce its policy of nuclear ambiguity. The kingdom continues to reject U.S. demands to forgo domestic uranium enrichment, viewing it as a sovereign right to match regional rivals like Iran and Israel. The war highlighted the risk that being a nuclear threshold power could invite a preemptive attack, pushing Riyadh to explore other deterrence strategies. As a result, Saudi Arabia has pursued a mutual defense deal with Pakistan to likely gain a de facto nuclear deterrent without the political and military risks of developing its own arsenal.