From Kahuta to Kahuta: Why India Chose Diplomacy Over a Pre-emptive Nuclear Strike
The ongoing West Asia conflict, centered on Iran's nuclear ambitions and strikes on facilities like Natanz in 2025, has renewed debate about pre-emptive attacks on nuclear programmes. Historically, such strikes have included Allied raids on German heavy-water plants in WWII, Israel's destruction of Iraq's Osiraq reactor in 1981, and its strike on Syria's al-Kibar site in 2007. Unlike these precedents, India chose not to target Pakistan's Kahuta nuclear facility during the 1980s, a decision widely seen as allowing Pakistan to complete its nuclear weapons programme. To reduce bilateral tensions, India and Pakistan signed a 1988 agreement barring attacks on each other's nuclear installations. Today, India focuses on strategic survivability by developing layered missile defence systems rather than pursuing pre-emptive options.
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