Former US Secretary of State and General Colin Powell stated that Israel possesses 200 nuclear weapons in one of the emails obtained by Russian hackers this Sunday.
Regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's March 2015 speech to the US Congress about the dangers of the Iran nuclear deal, Powell wrote that he doubted the Iranian regime would use an atomic bomb, even if it could acquire one, since "the guys in Tehran know that Israel has 200 of them, all aimed at Tehran".
He sent that message to US Democratic Party donor Jeffrey Leeds.
Israeli leaders have never admitted or denied that they have nuclear weapons, but they have always emphasized that they will not be the first to use them in the region.
According to a 2014 report by the Federation of American Scientists, the Jewish state is believed to have 80 to 400 nuclear weapons, although the authors of the document estimate that the number is closer to 80, reports the Times of Israel.
In an email sent by Powell on March 3, 2015, the estimate was more than doubled. Bearing in mind that he was the head of the joint armed forces of the USA, the number of 200 atomic bombs has more weight than media reports, authors and analysts, the same newspaper adds.
Many of Powell's emails have been posted on the website BCLeaks.com. Powell did not deny their authenticity in statements to the media.
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