US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that the country had "no plans at all" for nuclear enrichment in Saudi Arabia, according to reports on Monday.
Wright stated the nation's oil refining capacity is "too tight" right now.
This development comes after Wright stated that the US was open to supplying Iran with nuclear fuel if the country resolves the former's contention regarding its nuclear policy.
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Wright repeated the US's allegations regarding Iran's nuclear programme saying that the country was vying to develop a nuclear weapon with Tehran repeatedly denying these claims.
"They could join the community of nations again and bring peace and prosperity to their people,” Wright said, as cited by Bloomberg.
The comments come as the US plans what has been described as “decisive strikes” against Iran's underground nuclear facilities, following a “clear surge in construction activity” detected this year near the Natanz nuclear complex, about 140 miles south of Tehran, CNN reported.
Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to escalate military action against Iran, saying the country would be “bombed at a much greater rate” and “never be able to recover”. He also raised the possibility of striking the Pickaxe Mountain site after activity and movements were detected there.
“We may hit Pickaxe very soon,” Trump told reporters last week.
The Pickaxe Mountain site is located near the Natanz nuclear complex.
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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps further stated that it intercepted and destroyed an American MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz using a new air defence system, as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue and talks over the strategic waterway remain stalled.
The drone was intercepted by the IRGC Aerospace Force's "new advanced aerospace defence system" under the control of Iran's integrated air defence network, the IRGC public relations office reported, as per Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.
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