Nine countries around the world either openly claim to have nuclear weapons or are believed to possess them, based on the latest data.
Russia tops the list with 4,309 nuclear warheads, while the United States follows with 3,700. China has built up its arsenal to 600 warheads. France holds 290, and the United Kingdom has 225. India maintains 180 warheads, Pakistan has 170, Israel is believed to have 90, and North Korea has about 50.
The United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom were the first countries to develop nuclear weapons. These five nations signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which aims to stop other countries from getting nuclear weapons while working toward reducing their own stockpiles.
India and Pakistan developed their weapons outside this agreement. India tested its first nuclear bomb in 1974 and conducted another test in 1998. Pakistan quickly followed with its own tests just weeks after India’s 1998 test.
Israel has never officially admitted having nuclear weapons, but experts widely believe they do. North Korea left the nonproliferation treaty in 2003 and has tested nuclear devices multiple times since 2006.
Iran’s nuclear program has become a major concern in 2025. In June, Israel attacked several Iranian nuclear facilities, claiming Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran is “months away” from having a nuclear bomb.
However, U.S. intelligence reported in March 2025 that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon” and that Iran’s Supreme Leader has not approved a weapons program since suspending it in 2003.
The situation is complicated by Iran’s uranium enrichment activities. In May 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium had grown by about 50 percent in just three months. Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity – much higher than the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal and approaching the 90% needed for weapons.
In June 2025, the IAEA formally found Iran was not following its nuclear safety agreements. Iran continues to insist its program is only for peaceful purposes like energy production.
The military strikes have damaged peace efforts. Important talks scheduled for June 15, 2025, in Oman were canceled after Israel’s attacks on Iran.
Many experts worry that if Iran gets nuclear weapons, other countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia might try to build their own bombs.
Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, criticized attacks on nuclear facilities, stating firmly that “nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances.”
As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, the challenge of preventing more countries from getting nuclear weapons becomes increasingly difficult, while the nine nuclear-armed nations maintain their powerful arsenals.
