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There are 9 countries that presently either accidental they person atomic weapons oregon are believed to person them
Nine countries presently either accidental they person nuclear weapons oregon are believed to person them.
The archetypal to person atomic arms were the 5 archetypal atomic weapons states — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
All 5 are signatories to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which commits countries that don't person atomic arms not to physique oregon get them, and those that bash to “pursue negotiations successful bully faith” aimed astatine atomic disarmament.
Rivals India and Pakistan, which haven't signed the NPT, person built up their atomic arsenals implicit the years. India was the archetypal to behaviour a atomic trial successful 1974, followed by different successful 1998. Pakistan followed with its ain atomic tests conscionable a fewer weeks later.
Israel, which besides hasn't signed the NPT, has ne'er acknowledged having atomic weapons but is wide believed to.
North Korea joined the NPT successful 1985 but announced its withdrawal from the pact successful 2003, citing what it called U.S. aggression. Since 2006, it has conducted a drawstring of atomic tests.
Iran agelong has insisted its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes lone and U.S. quality agencies person assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing the weaponry now. But it has successful caller years been enriching uranium to up to 60% purity — adjacent weapons-grade levels of 90%.
In an yearly appraisal released this week, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated that the 9 countries had the pursuing stockpiles of subject atomic warheads arsenic of January:
Russia: 4,309
United States: 3,700
China: 600
France: 290
United Kingdom: 225
India: 180
Pakistan: 170
Israel: 90
North Korea: 50
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