Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the United Kingdom an “Islamic republic” and reiterated his claim that it could become “the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.” The British government called his statements “absolutely unacceptable” and said it had raised the issue with Israeli authorities.
This statement was made on an Israeli Army Radio podcast, an episode of which was published on August 13, 2026. Speaking about the shift in attitudes toward Israel in the United Kingdom, Netanyahu used the phrase “Islamic Republic of Britain.” The host then asked him whether something similar was happening throughout Europe. The prime minister answered in the affirmative and cited a phrase previously used by someone else describing Britain as the future “first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.”
However, the widely held interpretation that Netanyahu himself predicted Britain’s transformation into an Islamic nuclear republic is not entirely accurate. He did not present this phrase as his own prediction but explicitly stated that “someone had said” it. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer later told the BBC that Netanyahu was referring to current U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who made a similar statement back in 2024.
Vance said at the time that the United Kingdom could become the first “truly Islamist country with nuclear weapons.” However, he himself made a caveat regarding Pakistan.
The very claim about the “first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons” is historically inaccurate. Pakistan is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and has possessed nuclear weapons since the late 1990s.
London’s reaction was harsh. A British government spokesperson stated that Netanyahu’s comments were unacceptable and that this issue had already been raised during discussions with the Israeli side.
The remarks came amid deteriorating relations between Israel and a number of European countries. In the interview itself, the host broadened the question to include Europe as a whole, to which Netanyahu responded in the affirmative.
According to the latest assessment by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026, as of January 2026, nine states possessed or, as in the case of Israel, were considered to possess a total of approximately 12,187 nuclear warheads. About 9,745 of these were in military stockpiles and could potentially be used.
In order from the largest arsenal to the smallest:
Russia — about 5,459 warheads
United States — about 5,083
China—about 620
France—about 290
United Kingdom—about 225
India—about 190
Pakistan—about 170
Israel—about 90
North Korea—about 60
These are estimates of the total number of nuclear warheads, not just those deployed. The exact sizes of the arsenals are state secrets, so SIPRI emphasizes that the figures are approximate. Russia and the U.S. together continue to control about 86% of all nuclear warheads in the world.
China’s arsenal is growing particularly rapidly at the moment: SIPRI estimates it at approximately 620 warheads, up from 600 a year earlier. India has increased its estimated stockpile to 190, and North Korea, according to the institute’s assessment, may have assembled about 60 warheads and possesses fissile material for at least several dozen more.
The United Kingdom, at the center of the current diplomatic scandal, is estimated by SIPRI to have approximately 225 nuclear warheads. London has stopped publishing detailed data on the size of its operational nuclear stockpile, and British strategy provides for the possibility of increasing it.
ISRAEL, Netanyahu, nuclear weapons, PAKISTAN, UNITED KINGDOM
The Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galland for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
“The Pre-Trial Chamber has issued arrest warrants for two individuals, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Galland, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed at least between October 8, 2023, and at least May 20, 2024, the date on which the prosecution filed the request for arrest warrants,” the ICC website said on Thursday.
The Pre-Trial Chamber reportedly ruled on two requests filed by Israel on September 26, 2024.
“In the first request, Israel challenged the Court’s jurisdiction over the situation in the State of Palestine in general and over Israeli citizens in particular, pursuant to Article 19(2) of the Statute. In the second request, Israel requested the Chamber to order the Prosecutor’s Office to provide a new notification of the commencement of the investigation to its authorities pursuant to Article 18(1) of the Statute. Israel also requested the Chamber to discontinue any proceedings before the Court in the relevant situation, including the consideration of the applications for arrest warrants for Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Gallant filed by the Prosecutor’s Office on May 20, 2024,” the statement said.
The Chamber noted that Israel’s acceptance of the Court’s jurisdiction was not necessary, as the Court could exercise its jurisdiction on the basis of Palestinian territorial jurisdiction, as determined by the Pre-Trial Chamber I in its previous composition. In addition, the Chamber considered that, pursuant to Article 19(1) of the Statute, States are not entitled to challenge the Court’s jurisdiction under Article 19(2) before the arrest warrant is issued. Israel’s objection is therefore premature. This is without prejudice to any future possible objections to the Court’s jurisdiction and/or admissibility in any particular case.
It is noted that the Chamber also rejected Israel’s request under Article 18(1) of the Statute. “The Chamber recalled that the Prosecution notified Israel of the commencement of the investigation in 2021. At that time, despite a request for clarification from the prosecution, Israel decided not to file any requests for a continuance. In addition, the Chamber decided that the parameters of the investigation in this situation remained unchanged, and, as a result, no new notification to the State of Israel was required. In light of this, the judges concluded that there were no grounds for discontinuing the consideration of the applications for arrest warrants,” the statement said.
The Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Netanyahu, born on October 21, 1949, the Prime Minister of Israel at the time of the relevant act, and Mr. Gallant, born on November 8, 1958, the Minister of Defense of Israel at the time of the alleged act, are criminally responsible for the following crimes as accomplices for committing acts together with other persons the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts; and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.
The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant are criminally responsible as civilian commanders for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population.
As reported, on April 20, 2024, it became known that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Kareem Khan, is requesting arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and the heads of the Islamic Movement of Hamas, the military wing and the political bureau of Hamas in connection with war crimes and crimes against humanity of October 8, 2023, according to the ICC website.
Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog on Sunday officially instructed right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Netanyahu arrived at the Duke’s official residence on Sunday, where the official handover ceremony took place.
Now Netanyahu has 28 days to form a new government in the country. If he fails to complete the task on time, he may ask for an additional 14 days. If he fails to meet the extra time, then the president can transfer the mandate to another candidate.
However, with a high probability, Netanyahu will be able to achieve the approval of parliamentarians – there are 120 seats in the Knesset, among them the bloc of right-wing and religious parties has 64 mandates. The approval of 61 deputies is required for the Knesset to approve the composition of the government. Just 64 deputies recommended President Herzog to give a mandate to Netanyahu, and not to another candidate.
The fact that the mandate will receive Netanyahu, it became known earlier this week. He was in opposition for about a year and a half, but in the November 1 elections, his Likud party won the majority of votes, and together with other right-wing parties, he managed to win an advantage over the left that came to power in the previous elections.
The opposition Likud party and its partners in Israel’s right-wing bloc may win a parliamentary majority in Israel’s parliamentary elections, The Jerusalem Post reports, citing polling results at the exit from polling stations.
Netanyahu’s bloc, which includes the Likud, the Religious Zionists, the single list of ultra-Orthodox parties Yahadut HaTorah and the ultra-religious Shas, can win 61 seats out of 120, according to exit polls. The Times of Israel predicts that the bloc Netanyahu will have 61-62 seats, Channel 12 predicts that the Netanyahu bloc will have 61 seats, Channel 13 – 62 seats, while the bloc of current Prime Minister Yair Lapid, according to the exit polls of these two channels, has 54-55 seats.
According to the Channel 12 exit poll, the Likud party, led by Netanyahu, could get 30 seats. According to the Channel 13 exit poll, Likud could win 31 seats. Lapid’s Yesh Atid party won 24 seats, according to exit polls from both channels.
However, the balance of power after the counting of all votes may still change, but the Israeli media is generally inclined to believe that, following the results of the current elections, Netanyahu may be able to regain power and become the head of government again. The final results will be known in the coming days, but by Wednesday morning, with the exception of some details, it will already be clear what the balance of power in the 25th Knesset will be, media say.
Polling stations in Israel closed at 22:00 (22:00 Kyiv time). The Israelis elected a new unicameral parliament, the Knesset.
The Ukrainian authorities have offered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to become a mediator during the negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said on the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS.
The diplomat explained that this decision is due to the fact that Netanyahu has good relations with both President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
“I am glad to report that the prime minister did not say no. He said that he would try to do everything in his power. We are glad that Mr. Netanyahu did not reject this mission, but on the contrary, he showed his interest and willingness to help,” noted Korniychuk.
As reported earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the expansion of friendship and cooperation with Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold an official meeting in Kyiv on August 19 and sign Ukrainian-Israeli documents, the press service of the head of Ukrainian state has reported. The meeting at the Mariyinsky Palace will begin at 10:30, after which a document signing ceremony will take place at 12:45.
Statements by Zelensky and Netanyahu for the media are scheduled at 13:00.
In addition, at 15:20, the president of Ukraine and the premier of Israel will take part in events to pay tribute to the victims of the Babyn Yar tragedy.
