Under Secretary DiNanno Refuses to Confirm Israel's Nuclear Arsenal in Tense Congressional Hearing

A senior Trump administration official publicly refused to confirm Israel's possession of nuclear weapons during a contentious congressional hearing, directly challenging a decades-old U.S. policy of deliberate ambiguity. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Thomas G. DiNanno repeatedly dodged a direct question from Representative Joaquin Castro, claiming the matter was "outside of my purview," a response Castro labeled a "dereliction of duty." The tense exchange signals a potential fracture in the long-standing, unspoken diplomatic protocol surrounding Israel's undeclared nuclear capabilities.

The confrontation occurred during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, where Castro pressed DiNanno on the fundamental question: "Does Israel have nuclear weapons?" Despite the widespread public understanding that Israel maintains a significant nuclear arsenal, the Under Secretary declined to acknowledge it, framing his evasion as a matter of jurisdictional limits rather than policy. This refusal to engage on a core non-proliferation issue, from the official overseeing arms control, marks a stark departure from traditional diplomatic discourse and places the U.S. government's official position under unusual scrutiny.

The incident underscores the deepening political pressures and shifting dynamics in U.S.-Israel relations. By forcing the question into an open hearing, Castro highlighted the growing willingness of some lawmakers to challenge the foundational taboos of American foreign policy in the Middle East. DiNanno's non-answer, while maintaining the technical facade of ambiguity, effectively draws attention to the policy itself, risking perceptions of weakened institutional resolve or alignment on a critical strategic issue with global non-proliferation consequences.