India-Israel Proposal To Strike Pak’s Nuke Facility Amid ‘Islamic Bomb’ Fears

8th November 2025 at 4:59 PM

1 minute read

New Delhi : Former CIA officer Richard Barlow revealed that a proposed joint operation by India and Israel in the early 1980s to strike Pakistan’s Kahuta nuclear facility was not approved by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. I was out of government from 1982 until 1985. And I think that may have occurred while I was out of government. I heard about it at some point. But I didn’t get my teeth into it because it never happened.

The core of its nuclear program. The aim was to prevent Islamabad from developing nuclear weapons and potentially proliferating them, particularly to Iran, which Israel views as a major adversary. Barlow, who served as a counterproliferation officer during Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear activities in the 1980s, noted that the United States, under President Ronald Reagan, would have strongly opposed any strike on Kahuta, especially if Israel were involved.

Because it would have interfered with the Afghan problem,” Barlow remarked, referring to the former Israeli Prime Minister’s potential involvement. He also highlighted how Pakistan leveraged its cooperation in Afghanistan to deter US intervention in its nuclear program. Pakistani officials, including Munir Ahmad Khan, used the flow of covert aid as leverage, warning US lawmakers that disrupting support would affect the anti-Soviet campaign.

“As you alluded to, what Munir Khan said was that they were basically using the flow of covert aid to the Mujahideen as blackmail. I think that’s what Munir was saying to (US Congressman Stephen) Solarz–if you pull aid, we’re not going to support the Mujahideen anymore,” he added.