Something... Nuclear Deal, the US and Saudi, with a Caveat. My Take: Mixed Vibe
Posted by HCN on Thursday, July 23, 2026
In the news today 7/23, Al Jazeera runs story that says 'Trump says Saudi nuclear pact hinges on kingdom joining Abraham Accords'.
What are some of the components that lead up to feelings of a mixed vibe?
Here are a few, ones that are historical facts:
Nuclear as a science now is becoming a smaller and smaller component of the larger picture of energy related technology. Today, there are for instance nanotechnologies, laser and light technologies, AI (artificial intelligence), huge arrays of solar technologies, to name a few. So why (today) harp on a simplistic fulcrum of nuclear related subject, whereat it may have become a go-to mainstay in policy and defense arenas?
That nuclear technology has many different areas, is already in consideration in this discussion.
Saudi Arabia is about as far as one can go in meeting the criteria of being the cradle of the cradle of civilization in certain aspects. In Saudi are 2 of 3 holiest sites of the Muslim World. In older days, when protection strategies involved a lot of horizontal plane defense, such as keeping makes of distance from potential attackers, inherently the strategies proved for the most part viable, as attack methodologies were often based on ground movements, soldiers marching, maybe with some archery involved.
When airplanes came along, the strategy of distance for defense still had some impact, but obviously with the potentiality of airspace being violated, vulnerability can be about as wide as the vulnerable air space will let it.
Long range missiles and drones that can change course during flight and pinpoint targets the size of an eye of a needle, has changed the defense dynamic.
It just so happens that there have been a number of who-thought-it-would-ever-happen, a break from the 'pacts of expectation', the hearts and minds of the Arab people, moreover, psychology of the Arab World, a number aerial weapons being deployed all over the Middle East in about the last year.
Meanwhile is tension between Saudi and Yemen Houthis at whatever degree at whatever moment.
Altogether, numerous weaponry has been in the skies in the past several years, moreso the past year, at a very uncomfortable distance to the said 2 holy sites.
The second point, is historically, Iran and Iraq got into some tensions, just a few seasons after Ayatollah Khomeini took power, which was a 'shocker' in some ways to many, especially in the aspect of 2 'Muslim countries' combatting one another.
In the timeline, Israel's Menachem Begin proposed to the US the idea of supplementing nuclear arms, in brief words, to Iran, respective the Iran-Iraq situation.
There have been a number of it was once on the up, then went down, relations, between nations in the Middle East and the US.
The US was once a proponent of Iraq, reference Baath Party, Saddam Hussein, etc, then later war broke out, post 'invasion of Kuwait' for reference frame.
Syria, he US was once a proponent of the Asad regime, towards the waning of it, just several years ago, many voices in US government weren't raving about it. There may have been reasons for that, however, this discussion is to illustrate the roller coaster ride of relations.
There are high policy seats in the US that are and or were proponents of dismantling nuclear capabilities of Iran, markedly over the last year.
At this time, it's pretty clear that basically the final geo-political border that surrounds the 2 holy sites, working outward to inward, is the one the sites sit in.
The idea of potentiality of ups and downs in relations, is already present, already illustrated, and amplified with intensified relations along with concerns about it, with the advent of subjects nuclear.
The old saying, you see where this conversation is going.
Another historical ray, is the normalisation of relations concept. The relations respective Egypt, to all nations in the Middle East, since Anwar Sadat. What was normal and to who? Tensions over Sinai Peninsula, peace accords, resumption of ties yo other consortiums in the Middle East post Sadat.
Abraham Accords, may be thorny subject matter, if that's the caveat to nuclear relations, programs and development.
What are some of the components that lead up to feelings of a mixed vibe?
Here are a few, ones that are historical facts:
Nuclear as a science now is becoming a smaller and smaller component of the larger picture of energy related technology. Today, there are for instance nanotechnologies, laser and light technologies, AI (artificial intelligence), huge arrays of solar technologies, to name a few. So why (today) harp on a simplistic fulcrum of nuclear related subject, whereat it may have become a go-to mainstay in policy and defense arenas?
That nuclear technology has many different areas, is already in consideration in this discussion.
Saudi Arabia is about as far as one can go in meeting the criteria of being the cradle of the cradle of civilization in certain aspects. In Saudi are 2 of 3 holiest sites of the Muslim World. In older days, when protection strategies involved a lot of horizontal plane defense, such as keeping makes of distance from potential attackers, inherently the strategies proved for the most part viable, as attack methodologies were often based on ground movements, soldiers marching, maybe with some archery involved.
When airplanes came along, the strategy of distance for defense still had some impact, but obviously with the potentiality of airspace being violated, vulnerability can be about as wide as the vulnerable air space will let it.
Long range missiles and drones that can change course during flight and pinpoint targets the size of an eye of a needle, has changed the defense dynamic.
It just so happens that there have been a number of who-thought-it-would-ever-happen, a break from the 'pacts of expectation', the hearts and minds of the Arab people, moreover, psychology of the Arab World, a number aerial weapons being deployed all over the Middle East in about the last year.
Meanwhile is tension between Saudi and Yemen Houthis at whatever degree at whatever moment.
Altogether, numerous weaponry has been in the skies in the past several years, moreso the past year, at a very uncomfortable distance to the said 2 holy sites.
The second point, is historically, Iran and Iraq got into some tensions, just a few seasons after Ayatollah Khomeini took power, which was a 'shocker' in some ways to many, especially in the aspect of 2 'Muslim countries' combatting one another.
In the timeline, Israel's Menachem Begin proposed to the US the idea of supplementing nuclear arms, in brief words, to Iran, respective the Iran-Iraq situation.
There have been a number of it was once on the up, then went down, relations, between nations in the Middle East and the US.
The US was once a proponent of Iraq, reference Baath Party, Saddam Hussein, etc, then later war broke out, post 'invasion of Kuwait' for reference frame.
Syria, he US was once a proponent of the Asad regime, towards the waning of it, just several years ago, many voices in US government weren't raving about it. There may have been reasons for that, however, this discussion is to illustrate the roller coaster ride of relations.
There are high policy seats in the US that are and or were proponents of dismantling nuclear capabilities of Iran, markedly over the last year.
At this time, it's pretty clear that basically the final geo-political border that surrounds the 2 holy sites, working outward to inward, is the one the sites sit in.
The idea of potentiality of ups and downs in relations, is already present, already illustrated, and amplified with intensified relations along with concerns about it, with the advent of subjects nuclear.
The old saying, you see where this conversation is going.
Another historical ray, is the normalisation of relations concept. The relations respective Egypt, to all nations in the Middle East, since Anwar Sadat. What was normal and to who? Tensions over Sinai Peninsula, peace accords, resumption of ties yo other consortiums in the Middle East post Sadat.
Abraham Accords, may be thorny subject matter, if that's the caveat to nuclear relations, programs and development.
