Democrats Call on US to Acknowledge Israel's Nuclear Weapons

Castro asked Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno to detail Israel’s nuclear capabilities, but DiNanno responded that he could not answer the question.

The US-led war in Iran began on February 28, 2026, with the objective of ensuring Tehran cannot build a nuclear weapon, as stated by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Before the 12-day Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, intelligence agencies estimated Iran could produce enough bomb-grade uranium for a bomb in three to six months; that operation pushed the timeline back by nine months to a year.

The US military has largely avoided striking nuclear targets.

At a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, Hegseth dismissed a leaked intelligence memo assessing the war's impact on Iran's nuclear program as speculation. "We don’t discuss the specifics about intel… I can’t confirm or deny whether that is correct," Hegseth said, while stating that Operation Midnight Hammer set back Iran’s nuclear program.

" During nine hours of congressional testimony last week, Hegseth said Iran had not given up its nuclear ambitions despite the prior operation.

Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, pressed Hegseth on the discrepancy. "We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat. U.S. at exactly the same place as before." Iran's foreign minister stated, "there is no military solution to a political crisis" and called Trump's Project Freedom a "Project Deadlock."

Israel's nuclear arsenal is estimated at about 90 warheads, according to assessments cited in the letter. US law bans security assistance to countries failing to comply with international nuclear safeguards, which could require a waiver for aid to Israel.

" US officials have discussed the possibility that Israel would launch nuclear weapons if its air defense systems failed on a large scale, according to reports.

The United Arab Emirates is coordinating with Israel on the Iran war, according to Hot Air. Israel's foreign ministry has not commented on the Democrats' letter as of the latest reports in the source bundle. No publicly released evidence has documented direct Israeli nuclear involvement in the current conflict.