Israel is reportedly among the countries modernizing their nuclear weapons, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The latest annual review from SIPRI warns that the world is at risk of entering a “new dangerous arms race,” as most nations with nuclear capabilities are working to update and expand their arsenals.
The research center stated in a report released on Monday that the rate of disarmament is slowing down as nuclear-armed countries implement “intensive” programs to modernize their weapons.
SIPRI highlighted that the New START treaty, which limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and is the last remaining bilateral nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the US (possessing roughly 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons), is set to expire in February 2026.
Moscow suspended its participation in the treaty in 2023, citing the impracticality of inspections due to Western involvement in the Ukraine conflict. However, Russia stated it was open to dialogue if the arsenals of Washington’s NATO allies were also taken into account.
The research institute also included Israel among the countries “believed to be modernizing its nuclear arsenal.” While Israel doesn’t officially acknowledge possessing nuclear weapons, SIPRI pointed to tests of new missile propulsion systems and alleged upgrades at the plutonium production reactor site in Dimona.
The report estimates that West Jerusalem potentially has up to 90 nuclear warheads. These findings come as Israel conducts air raids against Iranian nuclear and military facilities, alleging that Tehran is close to creating a nuclear bomb. Iran, which claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, was not mentioned in the SIPRI report.
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