Saudi Prince threatens Iran to produce nuclear bombs

Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], Mar. 15 (ANI): Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Thursday threatened to obtain a nuclear bomb if Iran did the same.

In his first television interview to the American network, CBS Prince, Salman said, "Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible," Prince Salman told CBS in an interview.

Further Saudi Prince drew parallels between Iran's leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Germany dictator Adolf Hitler.

"Because he (Khamenei) wants to expand. He wants to create his own project in the Middle East very much like Hitler who wanted to expand at the time," he said.

Prince Salman further said, "Many countries around the world and in Europe did not realise how dangerous Hitler was until what happened, happened. I don't want to see the same events happening in the Middle East."

The kingdom, locked in a tussle for influence with Iran across the Middle East and beyond, is stepping up plans to develop a nuclear energy capability as part of a reform plan led by Prince Mohammed to reduce the economy's dependence on oil.

According to media sources, The United States, South Korea, Russia, France, and China are bidding on a multi-billion dollar tender to build Saudi Arabia's first two nuclear reactors.

The world's top oil exporter has previously said it wants nuclear technology only for peaceful uses but has left unclear whether it also wants to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel, a process which can also be used in the production of atomic weapons.

Nuclear reactors need uranium enriched to around 5 per cent purity but the same technology in this process can also be used to enrich the heavy metal to a higher, weapons-grade level. This has been at the heart of Western and regional concerns over the nuclear work of Iran, Saudi Arabia's arch-rival which enriches uranium domestically.

The Saudi government approved a national policy for its atomic energy programme on Tuesday, including limiting all nuclear activities to peaceful purposes, within the limits defined by international treaties. (ANI)