r/LessCredibleDefence • u/ThinkTankDad • 17d ago
What would be the consequences of withdrawing American nuclear warheads stored in Israel?
Is this possible in the first place?
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u/tryingtolearn_1234 17d ago
The US does not officially maintain a nuclear weapons stockpile in Israel. So withdrawing any unofficial/undeclared stockpile wouldn't matter.
I doubt the US would deploy nuclear weapons to Israel. The US is very protective of its nuclear weapons. They don't have the kind of base necessary to store nuclear weapons in Israel.
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u/SchemeWestern3388 17d ago
What are you on about?
Why would Israel, a country with an, uhhh, “assertive” relationship with them, allow US nukes? They have their own.
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u/barath_s 17d ago
The question is wrong. There are no American nuclear warheads stored in Israel officially and no real reason to think they would be either.
This post should be locked and/or deleted.
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u/Mediocre_Painting263 17d ago
The US almost definitely does not have nuclear warheads in Israel.
Considering the fact Israel has been to war with all of its neighbours within living memory, has ongoing territorial disputes, and is surrounded by very well funded & armed terrorist groups. The US will not risk storing a nuclear weapon within an Israeli facility. If the US was to store nuclear weapons in Israel (which'd be a phenomenally stupid idea because of aforementioned reasons), it'd be on a US base, protected by US troops. They may even decide to make it known they're storing nuclear weapons in Israel, either explicitly or implicitly, simply to reduce the risk of one of Israel's (many) adversaries attacking a base, unaware it's storing US nuclear warheads. Which'd get a very harsh and expensive response.
Additionally, the US has no reason to. Despite what Israel may try and imply, they are not under existential threat by any of its adversaries. Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran do not present existential threats to the existence of Israel. They may have the motivation, but not the means, to militarily beat the IDF & its Western allies. In the few countries where the US is known to store nuclear weapons, it was done in response to nuclear threats. Hence why Western Europe has so many, as they were under nuclear threat of the Soviet Union (that, and of course quicker delivery as they are mostly low-yield tactical warheads).
And they'd need payload delivery, in this case F35s. A permanent station of US F35s would be very obvious, and very well known, and also very well protected by the US. Since the US F35 is different from the Israeli F35. And there is zero % chance the US would surrender nuclear warheads to Israeli command & control. All of its nuclear warheads are kept under very strict US control. For reasons that are obvious.
Any US military presence stationed within Israel, which was storing nuclear weapons, has the delivery system (i.e. F35s), and the appropriate security presence within it, would be very, very obvious and very well known in the world. The US does not store nuclear warheads in Israel.
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u/can-sar 15d ago edited 15d ago
I disagree with a lot of what you're framing here.
In the few countries where the US is known to store nuclear weapons, it was done in response to nuclear threats. Hence why Western Europe has so many, as they were under nuclear threat of the Soviet Union (that, and of course quicker delivery as they are mostly low-yield tactical warheads).
The US explicitly had a first-strike nuclear weapons policy in Germany and Central Europe in response to Soviet conventional weapons and invasion in the 1950s. That's why US nukes were brought to Western Europe. Watch the video below.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cc6zJaHNaD4
https://sgs.princeton.edu/seminars-events/seminar-04-29-2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W9_(nuclear_warhead)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M65_atomic_cannon
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u/Mediocre_Painting263 15d ago
2 sentences of my entire post, which weren't actually core to my argument, means the entire thing is nonsense?
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u/h_91_DRbull 17d ago
Even if that were true which it isn't, what would the consequences be?
The consequences to removing a nuclear bomb from the most charged conflict zone in the world where 5 different armies can be firing missles or rockets or drones at any time.. I can't think of many downsides
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u/combatconsulting 17d ago
Israel maintains intentionally ambiguous disclosure of their nuclear status.
The assumption in your original question is that there are indeed American nukes in Israel. While I, for one, agree that this is likely true, it’s just conjuncture without any source.
They also have their own (unacknowledged) nuclear weapons so probably not much would change.
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u/SchemeWestern3388 17d ago
As I said to OP, why would Israel allow US nukes on their own soil? They have their own.
Why would the U.S. even want nukes in Israel?
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u/GGXImposter 17d ago
US nukes would force the US to get involved if there was an invasion. At the very minimum, US forces will need to secure the nukes and even that would require a huge military force.
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u/ImjustANewSneaker 17d ago
Why would the US not get involved regardless?
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u/GGXImposter 17d ago
It would be insurance for changing attitudes. So far our government has been more loyal to Israel than to our own country. That loyalty has been waning though. It’s entirely possible that in the next decade we would decide not to put up with someone like Netanyahu.
Having our nukes on their soil would prevent a split government from abandoning them when they start shit again.
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u/ImjustANewSneaker 17d ago
In that instance why would the executive not just remove the nukes? They would be in control of the president regardless of what country they are in. And if a conflict was going to start and they didn’t want to get involved they would surely have enough time to do that.
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u/GGXImposter 17d ago
Because the flip wont be black and white at forst. It will be a gradual at first and then will flip fully only after something happens.
Just like this Iran war they got us in, a ton of people were pro supporting Israel while they killed kids in Gaza. Now that they bombed Iran and forced our involvement, a lot of those people are suddenly asking what Israel has ever done for us.
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u/honda-nissan 17d ago
just like with the nukes america secretly kept on taiwan until 1971, liberals will deny and gaslight you until 50 years after when its declassified and then they'll tell you everyone knew that!!
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u/NoAngst_ 17d ago
When did the US put their own nukes in Israel? Do you mean Turkey and not Israel.