Building upon the US declaration of the size of its nuclear inventory several weeks ago, Britain revealed Wednesday that it has an arsenal of 225 nuclear warheads and would not exceed that level. Foreign Secretary William Hague made the disclosure before the British parliament. Back in 2006, the then-British government said the nation had no more than 160 operational warheads. But this is the first time that the total inventory level has been released, reported Voice of America. Hague said he hoped that the announcement would help build trust between nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states and contribute to nonproliferation efforts. The timing comes as the UN-sponsored Nonproliferation Treaty review conference continues in New York. Hague also said the time is right for Britain to re-examine its policy on the use of nuclear weapons. (See also BBC report and Global Security Newswire report.)
The U.S. conducted a series of airstrikes against Islamic State camps in Syria on Oct. 28, as the Pentagon continues its efforts to thwart the militant group from making a comeback.