A nuclear arms race is under way in the Middle East as Arab
states are looking to get their hands on weapons to counter Iran, Israel’s
defense minister has warned.
Moshe Ya'alon said Sunday that Sunni Arab states are unsettled
following last year’s nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, but
declined to elaborate, The Telegraph reports.
"We see signs that countries in the Arab world are
preparing to acquire nuclear weapons, that they are not willing to sit quietly
with Iran on brink of a nuclear or atomic bomb,” he said.
Israel and its Sunni Gulf allies are known to talk through back
channels and are united against Iran, despite not having diplomatic ties,
according to The Telegraph.
Supporters of the nuclear deal, such as President Obama, have
argued that it rolls back Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
But Ya’alon believes Iran can break the agreement as their
economic situation improves with the lifting of crippling international
sanctions.
"If at a certain stage they feel confident, particularly
economically, they are liable to make a break for the bomb,” he said.