North Korea now has enough nuclear fuel to build up to 90 nuclear warheads, according to a chilling new report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). That’s a massive leap from the estimated 20–60 warheads the rogue regime was capable of producing just last year — and it’s a sign that diplomacy and sanctions have failed to contain Kim Jong-un’s ambitions.

The report says Pyongyang continues to ramp up its nuclear and missile programs, brushing off United Nations sanctions and U.S. pressure. CRS warns that North Korea’s actions—ranging from ballistic missile testing to military parades and nuclear policy declarations—are part of a clear effort to build a viable nuclear warfighting capability.

“It has spawned exponentially,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said, confirming that North Korea’s uranium enrichment network is far more advanced than previously believed. The regime has expanded operations at the Yongbyon facility and opened new centrifuge farms at locations like Kangson, with potentially more sites being built.

Grossi told the Council on Foreign Relations in April that North Korea’s program is now “completely off the charts.” He emphasized that a new wave of reactors, reprocessing facilities, and ongoing weapons production shows Pyongyang is nowhere near slowing down.

While estimating the exact number of assembled warheads remains difficult, CRS cited U.S. Department of Defense assessments stating the regime may already have around 50 nuclear warheads and enough fissile material to build at least 40 more.

More troubling still is Pyongyang’s progress toward miniaturizing nuclear warheads — making them small enough to fit on long-range missiles. Kim Jong-un claimed back in 2021 that his scientists had successfully miniaturized and standardized nuclear weapons, making tactical battlefield use more realistic. While that may not yet include ICBMs capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, experts warn it’s only a matter of time.

According to the report, North Korea has been steadily improving its intercontinental ballistic missile program with test launches in 2017, 2022, multiple times in 2023, and again in late 2024. Each test suggests increased precision and growing capability to strike not only nearby nations like South Korea and Japan but eventually even the continental United States.

Perhaps most alarming is the emerging military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. As Kim supplies Putin with manpower and munitions for the Ukraine war, Moscow appears ready to return the favor with advanced missile technology. U.S. military officials told Congress in April that Russia could help North Korea leap ahead in weapons of mass destruction development “across the next three to five years.”

In short, North Korea is no longer simply developing nuclear weapons—it’s preparing to use them.

The report points to Pyongyang’s increasing investment in military training for its nuclear forces, likely to signal to Washington and Seoul that any preemptive strike on the regime would be futile. Combined with its relentless missile testing and operational drills, the message is clear: Kim Jong-un wants the world to know that his nukes are not just for show.

With sanctions failing, diplomacy stalled, and a nuclear arsenal growing by the day, the Biden administration’s strategy appears to be little more than hope. And in the face of a nuclear-armed regime actively training for deployment, hope may not be enough.