Nuclear
Who holds nuclear weapons and how many, the treaties that limited them and what is left of them, and the states to watch, with a wire from the outlets that follow them.
Arsenals, January 2026
| State | Warheads | Total | Stockpile change |
|---|---|---|---|
| RussiaFirst test 1949 | 1,796 deployed · 2,604 stored · 1,020 retired | 5,420 | +91 |
| United StatesFirst test 1945 | 1,770 deployed · 1,930 stored · 1,342 retired | 5,042 | 0 |
| ChinaFirst test 1964 | 34 deployed · 586 stored | 620 | +20 |
| FranceFirst test 1960 | 280 deployed · 10 stored · 80 retired | 370 | 0 |
| United KingdomFirst test 1952 | 120 deployed · 105 stored | 225 | 0 |
| IndiaFirst test 1974 | 12 deployed · 178 stored | 190 | +10 |
| PakistanFirst test 1998 | 170 stored | 170 | 0 |
| IsraelNo confirmed test | 90 stored | 90 | 0 |
| North KoreaFirst test 2006 | 60 stored | 60 | +10 |
| World | 4,012 deployed · 5,733 stored · 2,442 retired | 12,187 | +131 |
Estimates as of January 2026 by Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda, SIPRI Yearbook 2026, June 8, 2026. Deployed warheads sit on missiles or at bases with operational forces; stored warheads would need preparation before use; the stockpile is both, and its change is against January 2025. Russia’s rise reflects a new count of its nonstrategic warheads. North Korea may have fissile material for up to 90 warheads. France will add warheads and no longer publishes its total. There is no conclusive public evidence that Israel has tested.
Treaties and talks
New START Expired Feb. 5, 2026, with no successor. For the first time since the early 1970s, no treaty limits U.S. and Russian strategic forces, and neither side publishes treaty data. SIPRI
Nonproliferation Treaty The 11th Review Conference, April 27 to May 22, 2026, in New York, ended without a final document, the third in a row. Talks between the U.S. and Iranian delegations over the language on Iran ran to the last day. Jiji Press
Nuclear testing No state has set off a nuclear explosion in 2026; North Korea’s test in 2017 was the last. In October 2025 President Trump said he had ordered testing “on an equal basis,” and in November President Putin ordered proposals for possible Russian tests. In February 2026 the United States accused China of a concealed test in 2020. CNN
Intermediate range missiles The INF Treaty ended in 2019. Russia dropped its own moratorium on deploying such missiles on Aug. 4, 2025, and in December 2025 showed an Oreshnik missile operating in Belarus. Arms Control Association, SIPRI
States to watch
Updated Oct. 24, 2026.
Iran At war with the United States and Israel since Feb. 28, 2026. A ceasefire that began April 8 and a June memorandum broke down July 8; on Oct. 7 Vice President Vance said ending the war requires a “meaningful” cut in Iran’s enrichment capacity. The IAEA has not been back to the bombed sites. Before the June 2025 strikes Iran held 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, about 10 weapons’ worth if enriched further; in March 2026 the IAEA’s director general said just over 200 kg was believed to remain in tunnels at Isfahan. Reuters, Britannica
North Korea About 60 assembled warheads and fissile material for up to 90 (SIPRI, January 2026). The Ninth Party Congress, Feb. 19 to 25, 2026, pledged more nuclear weapons and more ways to deliver them. Lowy Institute
China About 620 warheads in January 2026, up 20 in a year, the fastest growth of any arsenal. SIPRI
Saudi Arabia Signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States on July 22, 2026, that could lead to uranium enrichment in the kingdom after a joint study; reports say it does not require the IAEA’s Additional Protocol. Its mutual defense pact with Pakistan dates to September 2025. AP
South Korea A joint fact sheet on Nov. 13, 2025, backed a process toward South Korean enrichment and reprocessing for peaceful uses and approved nuclear powered attack submarines. Arms Control Association
Europe On March 2, 2026, President Macron ordered more French warheads, ended disclosure of the total and offered temporary deployments of nuclear capable aircraft to allies; he named eight countries ready to take part, including Germany and Poland. AP
India and Pakistan Fought in May 2025. India’s arsenal grew to about 190, with 12 warheads on deployed missiles in SIPRI’s count for the first time; Pakistan holds about 170. SIPRI
Wire
Friday, Oct. 23
- How Nuclear Security Can Help Bring the US and China Together on AI James Martin CNS
- Saudi Arabia Expands Missile Production at al-Duwadimi Arms Control Wonk
- Update 372 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine IAEA
- World News in Brief: Iran nuclear inspections, deadly church attack in Jordan, El Fasher – one year on UN News
Tuesday, Oct. 20
- You can destroy a facility. What about knowledge? Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- Trump proposes tripartite meeting with Xi and Putin to discuss nuclear disarmament Arms Control Association
- Trump open to trilateral meet with Xi, Putin to discuss nuclear arms reductions Arms Control Association
- North Korea Wants Security Talks With the US, Not Nuclear Talks The Diplomat
- Japan Has Considered Nuclear-Powered Submarines Since 1958. Why Has It Never Built One? The Diplomat
Monday, Oct. 19
- Statement on President Trump’s Comments About Denuclearization Talks with Russia and China Arms Control Association
- We Finally Know The B-21 Raider’s True Wingspan The War Zone
Friday, Oct. 16
- BONUS Episode: The True Costs of War – Moderated Question and Answer Session Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- Update 371 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine IAEA
Thursday, Oct. 15
- Japan’s Nuclear Revival Has a Trust Problem The Diplomat
- Nuclear Stockpile Uncertainty Amidst a Continuing Strategic Missile Launch Drought 38 North
- Golden Dome Is Technologically and Financially Infeasible War on the Rocks
- Arms Control Wonk Version 5 Arms Control Wonk
Wednesday, Oct. 14
- The Paradox of Victory: When Winning in Ukraine Raises the Nuclear Stakes War on the Rocks
- The CTBT at 30: Reinforcing the Norm Against Testing Arms Control Association
- The Iran War: How Does This End? CSIS Missile Threat
Tuesday, Oct. 13
- IAEA Training Centre Builds Practical Skills for Nuclear Security IAEA
- Strategic Landpower Dialogue: A Conversation with General Xavier T. Brunson CSIS Missile Threat
- Countering Drone Proliferation from Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Implications for Arms Control and Security Governance SIPRI
Monday, Oct. 12
- Is Nuclear Cooperation with China Possible? Is It Desirable? Revisited. James Martin CNS
- Borrowed Weapon: Strategic Insolvency and the Nuclear Compensatory Reflex Arms Control Association
- North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, fourth test in a month NK News
Friday, Oct. 9
- Nuclear Weapons Issues & The Accelerating Arms Race: October 2026 Updates Nuclear Watch New Mexico
- Update 370 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine IAEA
- The True Costs of War: Iran Following the Pattern Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Thursday, Oct. 8
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Monday, Oct. 5
Saturday, Oct. 3
Friday, Oct. 2
Thursday, Oct. 1
- Introducing: Neighbors Against Nukes Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- The Rapid Race in Space Arms Control Wonk
Wednesday, Sept. 30
- BONUS Episode: The Costs of False Security – Live Audience Question & Answer Session Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Tuesday, Sept. 29
- Time To Fund the OPCW Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- The Golden Dome for America Initiative CSIS Missile Threat
- The Manhattan Project Mindset: How Nuclear Analogies Are Steering AI Policy Off Course War on the Rocks
- North Korean envoy denounces US for supporting ROK’s nuclear submarine ambitions NK News
Monday, Sept. 28
- The Costs of False Security: The Fallacy of National Missile Defense, the Golden Dome and Nuclear Weapons in Space Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Friday, Sept. 25
- There IS NO need for speed. Nuclear Watch New Mexico
Thursday, Sept. 24
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Sunday, Sept. 20
Friday, Sept. 18
Thursday, Sept. 17
- Next-Generation OSINT: Machine Learning for Tracking Nuclear and Missile Proliferation James Martin CNS
- The Real U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal Is Better Than We Thought War on the Rocks
- North Korea warns US-ROK WMD cooperation could trigger nuclear response NK News
- Kim Yo Jong slams IAEA critics, says North Korea’s nuclear status is ‘absolute’ NK News
Wednesday, Sept. 16
- 2026 Annual Conference: $1 Trillion and Counting: The Pentagon Budget Squeezing Our Real Security Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Monday, Sept. 14
- This Is Not Your Father’s Nuclear Flight Test Vehicle War on the Rocks
Friday, Sept. 11
- North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles towards East Sea: ROK military NK News
- 25 Years Later: Reflecting on the Human and Financial Costs of September 11 Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- Seoul rejects nuclear sharing as North Korea threat fuels opposition pressure NK News
- 25 Years Since September 11: Staff Stories: Rep. John Tierney, 49, Washington, D.C. Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Sources, 19
- Arms Control Association nuclear items only
- Arms Control Wonk every item
- Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation every item
- Nuclear Watch New Mexico every item
- CSIS Missile Threat every item
- Institute for Science and International Security every item, not reached at the last check
- Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists nuclear items only, not reached at the last check
- NTI nuclear items only, not reached at the last check
- James Martin CNS nuclear items only
- IAEA nuclear items only
- 38 North nuclear items only
- NK News nuclear items only
- SIPRI nuclear items only
- Stimson Center nuclear items only
- UN News nuclear items only
- War on the Rocks nuclear items only
- Breaking Defense nuclear items only
- The War Zone nuclear items only
- The Diplomat nuclear items only
Sources: SIPRI Yearbook 2026, chapter 8, World nuclear forces; the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; the IAEA; Reuters; AP; the Arms Control Association; Jiji Press; CNN; Britannica; the Lowy Institute. Figures are estimates. Errors are corrected on this page.