As tensions continue to rise between the United States, Iran, and Israel, a sobering simulation of a nuclear attack on U.S. soil has resurfaced, and reminding the world of just how catastrophic such a conflict could be.
Of course, this comes after a series of military escalations over the past 7 days.
Over the weekend, the U.S. confirmed it had launched missiles at three nuclear facilities in Iran, a response to Israel's June 13 attacks on Iranian nuclear and military sites. The strikes came amid allegations that Iran is actively working to develop nuclear weapons.
President Donald Trump has publicly warned Iran against retaliating and urged the country to seek a diplomatic solution. But any hope for de-escalation dimmed after Iran reportedly launched counterstrikes on U.S. air bases in Qatar and Iraq on June 23.
Tensions further arose on Tuesday, when Trump verbally lashed out at both Israel and Iran for breaching a ceasefire that had been agreed upon in the early hours of the morning.
“Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before, the biggest load that we’ve seen,” Trump exclaimed to reporters. “I’m not happy with Israel."
Trump continued: "You don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either."
The POTUS didn’t mince words when he added: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing."
Now, as fears of a larger conflict loom, a viral video simulation circulating online is offering a stark visual of what a nuclear attack could look like in the U.S., and the footage is leaving viewers shaken.
The simulation breaks down what actually happens during and after a nuclear detonation, from the massive fireball at ground zero to the far-reaching effects of radiation and fallout.
Meanwhile, Newsweek and Scientific American have published in-depth analyses of potential nuclear targets in the U.S., focusing primarily on missile silos located in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and North Dakota, areas that experts believe could be top priority in a first-strike scenario.
To take out even a single silo, analysts say, one or two nuclear warheads would be needed, each with the power of 100,000 tons of TNT. The impact would cause gigantic fireballs, shock waves, and mass vaporization of everything nearby. The goal? To destroy the missiles before they can be launched.
However, not every region of the country would face the same level of threat.
According to Newsweek, the safest U.S. states in the event of a nuclear strike are those furthest from military infrastructure and strategic targets. These include:
- Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states like Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York
- Southeastern states such as Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina
- Midwestern and Rust Belt states like Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan
But experts caution that no area is truly safe.
“Nuclear war wouldn’t just impact the initial strike zone, it would affect everyone,” said John Erath, Senior Policy Director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, speaking to Newsweek. “People living near military sites or missile silos would face the worst of it, but fallout, radiation, and environmental collapse don’t respect state borders.”
Erath warned that long-term dangers like contaminated food and water, radiation sickness, and infrastructure failure would impact the entire nation.
“There is no such thing as winning a nuclear war,” he added. “Both Republican and Democratic administrations have recognized that nuclear weapons must serve only as a deterrent, never as a tool for aggression.”
He closed with a sobering reminder from both Ronald Reagan and Joe Biden... "A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."