Kh Asif alerts world to Israel's nuclear prowess amid Iran conflict

Pakistan, June 17 -- Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned the global community to be "wary and apprehensive" of Israel's nuclear arsenal, amidst Tel Aviv's aggression against its neighbours in the region.

Israel possesses around 90 nuclear warheads, according to the US-based Centre for Nuclear Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. There are multiple United Nations (UN) resolutions concerning Israel's nuclear arsenal, including UN General Assembly Resolution 41/93, which urged Tel Aviv to renounce its weapons and place its facilities under International Atomic Energy (IAEA) safeguards.

After months of attacking Gaza - flattening homes, targeting hospitals and aid workers, and starving a besieged population - Israel has now expanded its assault across borders, launching wide-scale air strikes against Iran last week. Israeli officials have claimed the strikes are part of a broader operation codenamed 'Rising Lion' to deter Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

"(The) world should be wary and apprehensive about Israel's nuclear prowess, a country not bound by any international nuclear discipline, nor signatory to NPT or any other binding arrangement," he said in a post on X.

"We do not pursue hegemonic policies against our neighbours, which are being amply demonstrated by Israel these days," Asif continued, referring to Israel's aggression in the region.

The defence minister added that Pakistan was a signatory to all international nuclear disciplines.

"Our nuclear capability is for the benefit of our people and defence of our country against the hostile designs of our enemies," Asif said.

Asif said that the Western world must worry about conflicts being generated by Israel, adding that it would engulf the whole region and beyond.

"Their patronage of Israel, a rogue state, can have catastrophic consequences," Asif warned.

Israel was able to produce nuclear weapons by the end of the 1960s. It is estimated that there are about 90 plutonium-based nuclear warheads in this country and that Israel has produced enough plutonium for 100-200 weapons.

Tel Aviv is not a party to the NPT - a 1970 accord aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, promoting disarmament, and ensuring the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

"Although Israel refrains from informing the international community about whether it possesses nuclear weapons, it is the only country in the Middle East that has not accepted the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, which allows the IAEA to inspect all kinds of civilian and military nuclear facilities and to carry out verification activities for the work carried out," Heinz Gartner, a professor from the University of the Vienna told Anadolu .

Pakistan is also not a signatory to the NPT but frequently reiterates its commitment to nuclear safety and non-proliferation principles through other international frameworks.