Caught Between Riyadh and Tel Aviv: America’s New Middle East Dilemma

Washington’s attempt to strengthen Saudi Arabia and Turkey while maintaining unwavering support for Israel exposes a strategy built on contradictions rather than coherence. By empowering competing regional partners, the US risks fueling an arms race, deepening Iran’s insecurity, and becoming trapped in the very rivalries it seeks to manage.

“International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power.” (Hans Morgenthau)

“International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power.” (Hans Morgenthau)

The US-Saudi Nuclear Deal: A New Strategic Bargain

On 22 July 2026, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on peaceful cooperation in nuclear activities, more popularly referred to as a ‘123 agreement’, together with the associated bilateral safeguard agreement. The 123 agreement facilitates extensive opportunities for American firms participating in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear energy program and thus is beneficial for American industry and employment. The two agreements will promote U.S. and regional security through maintaining very high standards for nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation as well as enhancing the competitiveness of the U.S. in civil nuclear technology.

The deal strengthens the US-Saudi relationship but simultaneously creates a new source of anxiety for both Iran and Israel. Saudi Arabia has already cautioned several times, stating that if Tehran can have a nuclear bomb, then why not the KSA? The signing........

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