On April 13, tensions in the Middle East reached their highest point in recent weeks, when Iran fired an unprecedented rocket at Israel, which responded with a rocket attack of its own.
There were no reports of injuries on either side, with Israel confirming that 300 Iranian-launched missiles and drones had been shot down, and Iranian state media reporting that Israel had now launched three drones and destroyed its air defense network. It was reported that it was shot down by
Iran said it would not immediately retaliate for the attack as the long-standing “shadow war” between the two countries became public and concerns of a larger regional war were heightened.
However, a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned on Thursday that Iran may reconsider its “nuclear doctrine” if threats from Israel continue, even though it does not currently possess nuclear weapons.
As tensions rise in the Middle East, Yahoo News explains which countries possess nuclear weapons.
What countries possess nuclear weapons?
According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), nine countries currently possess nuclear weapons, both legal and illegal, with an estimated 12,100 warheads as of early 2024.
Five countries are officially recognized as nuclear-weapon states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
They are UK, China, France, America, and Russia.
However, her four countries – India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – also illegally possess this weapon.
Russia has the most nuclear weapons, followed by the United States.
Although Iran does not have nuclear weapons, its stockpile of enriched uranium was 5.5 tons as of February, according to the United Nations nuclear regulator. According to Reuters, the country’s uranium is now 60% enriched, and if enrichment continues, it could theoretically contain the equivalent of two nuclear weapons.
Number of nuclear weapons in each country
The official number of nuclear weapons is a state secret, but the FAS estimates that Russia will have 5,580 in 2024.
The United States follows closely with an estimated 5,044 cases.
In fact, the FAS says that approximately 88% of all nuclear warheads are owned by Russia and the United States.
On the other hand, no other nuclear state believes that more than a few hundred nuclear weapons are necessary for national security.
That’s why the third place, China, has only 500 people, compared to Russia and the United States, which have several thousand people.
France has an estimated 290 warheads, followed by the UK with an estimated 225 warheads.
How the number of nuclear weapons in the world
According to the FAS, the countries that illegally possess nuclear weapons are approximately 170 in Pakistan, approximately 170 in India, approximately 90 in Israel, and approximately 50 in North Korea. . However, these weapons are also included in the total inventory and, although still intact, are awaiting dismantling.
Israel does not publicly admit that it has nuclear weapons.
As countries strive for nuclear disarmament, the number of weapons remaining in military stockpiles is decreasing.
These inventories can also be divided into different categories, depending on whether the weapons are used in military base launchers or kept as reserves.
According to FAS, the entire “military stockpile” includes all active and inactive warheads stored by the military and intended for use in contracted delivery vehicles.
On the other hand, “deployed strategic warheads” are those deployed at intercontinental ballistic missile or heavy bomber bases.
There are currently 9,583 nuclear warheads in the military stockpile (usable in missiles, aircraft, ships, and submarines).
Of these, 3,880 are operational, and the United States, Russia, Britain, and France have 2,000 “high alert” warheads available for emergency deployment.
A “Deployed nonstrategic warheads” is a warhead that is deployed at a base capable of operating short-range delivery systems.
Most warheads around the world are in reserve or “non-deployed,” meaning they are stored and not deployed on military bases.
Regarding Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea, the FAS says that all military supplies are not deployed, i.e., none are currently deployed.
He is the only nuclear weapon to be used in war since it was first developed by the United States during World War II.
The United States dropped two bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, killing a total of nearly 200,000 people.
As tensions rose during the Cold War, Russia and the United States continued to stockpile nuclear weapons.
The most recent country to produce nuclear weapons was North Korea, which conducted its first nuclear test in 2006.
The FAS estimates that over 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted to date.
After the Cold War, the world’s nuclear stockpile decreased significantly, from approximately 70,300 nuclear weapons in 1986 to approximately 12,100 nuclear weapons in 2024.