Leaked Colin Powell emails reveal Israel has 200 nukes

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said in a leaked email sent in 2015 that Israel has 200 nuclear warheads.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) raises the Israeli flag on the new submarine 'Rahav'. The vessel is said to be capable of firing nuclear warheads Source: EPA

In a leaked 2015 email exchange, former Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed Israel's nuclear weapons with a friend, saying the country has 200 warheads.

Though Israel is widely believed to have developed nuclear weapons decades ago, it has never declared it and the US government considers the existence of Israel's weapons program to be classified information.

Powell, a former national security adviser and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday he was referring to public estimates of Israel's nukes and said he had never received an intelligence briefing on the issue.

The private email was among messages from Powell published by unknown hackers earlier this week.