India, Israel nearly struck Pak nuclear...? Ex-CIA agent reveals how Indira Gandhi pulled the plug

A shocking revelation reignited Cold War-era intrigue as former CIA officer Richard Barlow claimed that India and Israel once planned a covert joint airstrike on Pakistan’s Kahuta nuclear facility in the early 1980s. According to Barlow, the operation aimed to cripple Pakistan’s emerging nuclear weapons program but was ultimately blocked by then–Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who refused to authorize the strike. Barlow, a former counterproliferation officer, said the mission could have “solved a lot of problems.” His remarks, made during an interview with ANI on November 7, follow Donald Trump’s comments about Pakistan’s alleged secret nuclear tests. Reports also suggest the planned strike could have jeopardized U.S. covert operations in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. The Kahuta facility later became central to Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions, marking a turning point in South Asia’s nuclear rivalry.