Commenting on Saudi Arabia's nuclear program, Secretary Pompeo asserted that "I can't tell you where the [U.S.-Saudi] negotiations sit because they're still ongoing, but make no mistake about it: we only wish that the previous administration had taken that threat seriously with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran. They cut a deal that puts Iran on a path towards nuclear weapons". "We will not permit that to happen", Pompeo added. "We will never write a $150 million check to the Saudis and hand them over the capacity to threaten Israel and the U.S. with nuclear weapons, never".