Islam Times - 'Eight states, one entity hold nuclear monopoly'

Islam Times - Eight countries along with the Zionist regime of Israel stockpile all nuclear weapons in the world, finds a report.

The Fars News Agency report says these nuclear weapon stockpilers are the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan and North Korea.

The first five are signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But India, Pakistan and North Korea have refused to sign the NPT while conducting atomic tests.

Israel, the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, has always pursued the policy of nuclear ambiguity on its program.

The United States has officially acknowledged its possession of 5,200 nuclear warheads, 2,700 of which are operational.

Russia is estimated to own 1,400 bombs. But the precise number of tactical nuclear bombs in the country remains unknown.

France has nearly 300 nuclear warheads, followed by the United Kingdom with 200. Britain also has four nuclear ballistic submarines.

Next in line, China has nearly 400 strategic and tactical nuclear weapons. China’s nuclear arsenal is big enough to stockpile more arms.

India, a self-declared nuclear state, is likely to have enough plutonium for developing at least 100 nuclear warheads.

North Korea has test-fired nuclear weapons three times; in 2006, in 2009 and earlier this month.

For its part, Pakistan is estimated to have stockpiled between 580 and 800 kilograms of enriched uranium which would be enough for building 30 to 50 fusion bombs.

Estimates vary between 75 and 400 regarding the number of Israeli nuclear warheads. However, the Zionist entity is widely known to have nearly 200 warheads.