MOSCOW – During an internationally-televised speech, Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of lying about its nuclear program aftersigning the 2015 deal – his remarks have prompted speculations over TelAviv’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction.

Israel is widely suspected of possessing weapons of mass destruction,supposedly developed in 1948-1949, with an estimated arsenal of up to 400warheads. Despite the fact that Mordechai Vanunu, a former worker at theIsraeli Dimona nuclear reactor, blew the whistle on Tel Aviv’s nuclearprogram in 1986, Israel still maintains a policy of “nuclear ambiguity” –never denying or admitting to having nuclear arms.

*Israel Lied Too?*

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Israeli government under Prime Minister DavidBen-Gurion reportedly lied to the United States and stonewalledWashington’s requests for information on weapons development and refusedto accept visits from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Tel Avivreportedly referred to its Dimona reactor, provided by France, as a“textile plant” and a “metallurgic research installation,” allegedly in abid to hide the truth from American nuclear inspectors.

“I do not know of any other nation, whose neighbors declare that they wishto terminate it, and not only declare, but prepare for it by all meansavailable to them. We must have no illusions that what is declared everyday in Cairo, Damascus, Iraq are just words. This is the thought thatguides the Arab leaders,” Ben-Gurion said after his resignation as primeminister.

*What’s the Number?*

While there are many speculations about Israel having nuclear weapons, noone really knows how big its arsenal is. Back in 2008, former US PresidentJimmy Carter estimated that Israel had at least 150 atomic weapons in itsstockpile.

“The US has more than 12,000 nuclear weapons; the Soviet Union [sic] hasabout the same; Great Britain and France have several hundred, and Israelhas 150 or more,” Carter told the press.

In 2014, Carter reconsidered his estimates, suggesting that “Israel has,what, 300 or more, nobody knows exactly how many.”

In a private email message, written several months before the 2015 Irannuclear deal was inked, and leakedlink>in September2016, former US Secretary of State Colin Powell allegedly exposed the realnumber of Israeli warheads at the time.

“The boys in Tehran know Israel has 200, all targeted on Tehran, and wehave thousands.”

During the P5+1 Iran nuclear program talks, Iranian Foreign Minister JavadZarif told reporters at the UN that Israel was “sitting on 400 nuclearwarheads.”

The country is believed to have anywhere between 80 and 400 nuclearwarheads, and the ability to deliver them by aircraft, submarine-launchedcruise missiles, and the Jericho “family” of intermediateto intercontinental range ballistic missiles.

*Still Refuses to Sign NPT*

While the signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty haveconsistently pushed for a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, with the UNattempting to make Israel sign the agreement, Tel Aviv has steadfastlyrefused to join the international community. Israel, while neitherconfirming nor denying its nuclear program, has repeatedly stated that theissue of nuclear weapons could not be dissociated from security issuesin the region, including the country’s historically hostile relationswith its Arab neighbors.

In 2010, all 189 parties to the treaty urged for a conference in 2012to discuss de-nuclearization of the Middle East, calling on Israel to signthe pact and make its atomic facilities subject to UN inspections. Israel,however, rejected the “flawed and hypocritical” document.

“As a non-signatory state of the NPT, Israel is not obligated by thedecisions of this conference, which has no authority over Israel,” theIsraeli government said in a statement. “Given the distorted nature of thisresolution, Israel will not be able to take part in its implementation.”

In 2015, Egypt sought to convince the international community to discussIsrael’s alleged nuclear weaponslink>via resolutions,but its attempt to push for a nuclear-free region without discussionof regional security issues at a United Nations conference was blockedby the United States, Canada and the UK.