A new proposal for a U.S-Saudi civilian nuclear agreement that is said to be under discussion between the two countries during the administration of President Donald Trump has raised serious concerns about security risks in the Middle East region. The commercial proposal is said to permit Saudi Arabia to carry out its own enrichment of uranium with minimal international oversight, compared to the much stringent 2009 agreement between the U.S. and UAE. The response from Israeli government officials is mixed, with the economy minister, Nir Barkat, saying that “Israel can manage” a peaceful arrangement, whereas the former defense minister Avigdor Liberman saying that it will lead to a nuclear arms race in the region.