Iran-Israel War: 5 terrifying moments when nuclear war was just minutes away
Nuclear weapons have only been used in combat twice. However, the world has come frighteningly close to accidental or mistaken nuclear launches multiple times. Here are 5 key moments in history when the world narrowly avoided nuclear catastrophe
Cuban Missile Crisis
During the tense standoff between the US and Soviet Union, Soviet submarines near Cuba were surrounded by US ships. One Soviet sub, B-59, carrying a nuclear torpedo, almost launched when its captain believed war had already begun. Only the refusal of Vasili Arkhipov, a senior officer on board, prevented nuclear retaliation.
Norwegian Rocket Incident (1995)
Russia’s early-warning systems mistook a Norwegian scientific rocket for a possible US nuclear missile. President Boris Yeltsin was given the option to retaliate. For several minutes, Russia was on full nuclear alert, the closest the world has come to an accidental nuclear war after the Cold War, until the rocket’s true purpose was verified.
Stanislav Petrov Incident (1983)
Soviet radar falsely reported incoming US nuclear missiles. Officer Stanislav Petrov correctly judged this as a false alarm and refused to escalate — a decision credited with preventing a potential nuclear exchange.
1980 US False Alarm
A computer error at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) indicated a massive Soviet strike against the US. For six minutes, US missile crews were placed on high alert — but verification later proved the alert false, caused by a faulty computer chip.
Able Archer NATO Exercise (1983)
NATO ran a military exercise called Able Archer, simulating a nuclear war scenario. Soviet intelligence mistook this as preparation for a real first strike, placing Soviet nuclear forces on heightened alert. Miscommunication during this exercise could have triggered a Soviet launch.
Human Judgement and Restraint
These incidents show that human judgement and restraint have prevented nuclear disaster more than once. The risks remain, even decades after the Cold War, proving that nuclear weapons are never entirely safe from error or miscalculation.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments in the Israel-Iran conflict. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.
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