Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 9 / Trend A. Tagiyeva /
The west and in particular the U.S., will help Saudi Arabia expand its nuclear programme to create a balance with Iran, Iranian expert on Middle East policy Alireza Nourizadeh said.
"Saudi Arabia's nuclear programme is in the interests of the West because Riyadh is Europe's strategic partner in the region," he told Trend over phone.
The expert went on to say that taking into account the longstanding rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the existence of the Iranian developed nuclear programme, its absence in the kingdom has caused an imbalance of power in the region. After Riyadh expands its nuclear technology, a new fight for supremacy among the major forces in the region, namely Iran and Saudi Arabia will begin, he said.
Earlier, influential Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki al-Faisal who heads the country's special services and is a former ambassador to the U.S, pointed out that the development of nuclear technology in Saudi Arabia will be the response to the Iranian nuclear programme. He said that the world community had failed to stop it. So the Kingdom is preparing its response to this threat.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz earlier issued a notice on establishing the scientific centre of nuclear and renewable energy sources. The centre will be headed by former trade minister Hashim Abdullah Yamani. It will be located in Riyadh and under the auspices of the head of the government.
The expert said that Saudi Arabia's nuclear programme will be successful and reduce its dependence on hydrocarbon energy.
"There is no doubt that Iran is afraid of the development of nuclear technology in Saudi Arabia, as the development of Riyadh's nuclear programme reduces Tehran's role as the country resisting Israel," the expert said.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has tried to force its Western allies to solve the Iranian problem and restrict Iran's actions in the Persian Gulf by its decision to expand its nuclear programme.
Iran's nuclear programme began in 1975 by establishing the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Iran began expanding the nuclear project in early 1990 and signed its first agreement with Russia to build a nuclear power plant in 1992.
Iran announced the construction of 10 new plants for uranium enrichment in November 2009.
The U.S. and other Western countries accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons for military purposes under the guise of a peaceful nuclear programme. Tehran denies the charges saying that its nuclear programme has peaceful purposes.
So far the UN Security Council has adopted six resolutions to suspend the Iranian nuclear programme, four of which involve economic and some political sanctions against Iran.