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US Secretary of State Rubio refuses to confirm Israel has nuclear weapons

By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to give a direct answer Wednesday on whether Israel possesses nuclear weapons, telling lawmakers the sensitive topic is better suited for a classified setting.

"That's a question that we never acknowledge to have a nuclear program," Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee, according to an Anadolu Agency report.

"Before speaking frankly, I think most of the world assesses that they do, but we've never – they've never acknowledged that, probably," he added.

Rubio acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue, saying "these things require delicate balancing action between different equities," while stopping short of confirming or denying Israel's nuclear capabilities.

He suggested lawmakers would get a "more fulsome answer" in a setting that was "both classified and sensitive."

"It's a serious question," Rubio said, noting that Israel's non-acknowledgment of a nuclear program has long been "a feature of our foreign policy."

Israel has maintained a policy of nuclear ambiguity since the 1960s, neither confirming nor denying possession of nuclear weapons. The United States has historically adhered to the same posture, avoiding official statements that would force a diplomatic confrontation with its closest Middle East ally.

The exchange comes amid heightened regional tensions following Iranian missile and drone strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Rubio's office did not immediately respond to requests for further clarification on when the classified briefing would take place.