Israel and Weapons of Mass Destruction

Israel is widely believed to possess 90–400 nuclear warheads deliverable via aircraft, submarine-launched cruise missiles, and Jericho ballistic missiles, making it the sole presumed nuclear-armed state in the Middle East. It maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying its WMD capabilities, and remains the only UN member outside all three major non-proliferation treaties (NPT, BWC, CWC). Under its Begin Doctrine, Israel has preemptively struck nuclear facilities in Iraq, Syria, and Iran, while rejecting international pressure to join the NPT until a comprehensive regional peace framework is established.