US Congress Questions Israel's Nuclear Weapons, Foreign Minister Marco Rubio Responds
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced sharp questioning from a Democratic congressman regarding Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons. During a hearing on Wednesday, Rubio chose not to give an explicit answer, reinforcing a decades-old diplomatic taboo in Washington.
Congressman Joaquin Castro pressed Rubio to clarify the US position on its closest ally’s nuclear programme. In response, Rubio offered only a vague diplomatic reply.
“Most of the world assesses that they (Israel) have them,” Rubio told Castro. However, he declined to share the official US government position on Israel’s nuclear weaponry and suggested the matter be discussed in a closed or classified meeting.
This exchange highlights the longstanding US policy known as strategic ambiguity. Washington officially refrains from publicly acknowledging or discussing Israel’s nuclear programme. Rubio himself acknowledged that this silence is a feature of US foreign policy.
Castro, however, stressed that transparency is urgently needed now, given that the US is engaged in military tensions alongside Israel against Iran. “If they do have nuclear weapons, we don’t know what their ‘red line’ is for using them,” Castro asserted.
He expressed shock that the US government appeared to make no effort to provide such crucial information to congressional oversight bodies responsible for making strategic decisions regarding war.
Israel is widely believed to possess a nuclear arsenal, although it is not a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). To date, Tel Aviv has never officially confirmed nor denied the existence of such weapons of mass destruction.
The issue has become increasingly sensitive after several Israeli officials previously made controversial statements. In November 2023, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggested that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was an option. In the US, pro-Israel politicians such as Randy Fine have also called for the use of nuclear force against Palestine, comparing it to the US attack on Japan during World War II.
Castro, along with 30 other members of parliament, sent a letter to the State Department requesting clarification. They argued the US cannot formulate a coherent non-proliferation policy in the Middle East if it continues to maintain an official policy of silence regarding the nuclear capabilities of one of the main parties in the conflict.
Rubio eventually stated that Castro’s question was a fair one. However, he insisted that a more complete answer could only be provided in a classified format due to the very delicate balance of diplomatic interests involved.