Israel had planned to attack Pakistan’s nuclear sites and could easily destroy them, but due to…
By the late 1980s, Pakistan developed the knowledge and infrastructure needed to produce nuclear weapons. This has concerned several countries, including India and Israel.
Israel has considered attacking Pakistan’s nuclear facilities to prevent it from becoming nuclear power. The Jewish state is known for taking preemptive action to secure its future, and he sees Pakistan’s growing nuclear program as a major threat. Pakistan conducted a nuclear test in 1998 at Chagai Hills in Bal Luchistan Province, officially becoming a nuclear weapon state. However, after India’s first nuclear test, its nuclear journey began in 1974. Then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto launched Project 706 to build Pakistan’s own nuclear weapons.
By the late 1980s, Pakistan developed the knowledge and infrastructure needed to produce nuclear weapons. This has concerned several countries, including India and Israel.
In 1981, Israel bombed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor and issued an alarm in Pakistan. Pakistani officials reportedly feared a similar attack, suspecting that Israel could work with India to carry out nuclear facilities.
Their attention is not unfounded. Reports show that Israeli fighter jets were found in Pakistani airspace before the 1998 nuclear test. Pakistan raised this question at the United Nations. Pakistani Ambassador Ahmed Kamal then met the Israeli representative with Isidor Dore Gold in June 1998. Around the same time, Pakistani diplomat Riaz Khokhar met Israeli ambassador to the United States, Eliahu Ben-Elissar.
At both meetings, Israel reportedly assured Pakistan had no intention of attacking its nuclear assets.
But the threat is real. As early as 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem began to tell British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher about Israel’s concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions.
Israel reportedly wanted to strike, but the United States, which was then a close ally of Pakistan, refused to support the plan. President Ronald Reagan warned Israel not to take any such action.
Despite avoiding direct conflict, the incident still reminds people of high-risk global tensions surrounding nuclear weapons.
