Paris ? Is the Middle East about to go officially nuclear?

Bitter rivals Israel and Syria both announced Tuesday that they want to pursue atomic power plants, potentially complicating the diplomatic storm over Iran’s nuclear program and fueling a widening web of suspicion across the Middle East.

In a region where few leaders trust each other to keep a nuclear program peaceful, Israel — which is widely thought to have a secret nuclear weapons program — is unlikely to accept Syrian assurances its program is civilian. Looming in the background Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates also have ambitions to develop nuclear power.

Israel’s Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau dodged regional politics in announcing his country’s intentions at a nuclear energy conference in Paris, painting them instead in earth-friendly tones.