Israel has added to its nuclear capability with the purchase of two more submarines capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Military experts say Israel's purchase of the German-made Dolphin subs is a clear message to Iran that it can strike back if attacked by nuclear weapons.
The purchases come at a time when Iran is refusing to bow to growing Western demands to halt its nuclear programme, and after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."
The new submarines, built at a cost of $1.3 billion with Germany footing one-third of the bill, have diesel-electric propulsion systems that allow them to remain submerged for longer periods of time than the three nuclear arms-capable submarines already in Israel's fleet, the Jerusalem Postreported.
German officials have said the contract for the new submarines was signed July 6th, and the Jerusalem Postreported this week the subs will be operational shortly.
Israel, operating on a policy of nuclear ambiguity, has never confirmed or denied whether it has nuclear weapons. But it is believed to have the world's sixth-largest stockpile of atomic arms, including hundreds of warheads.