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These are 'the 2 countries that would survive' if nuclear war that could kill ‘five billion in days’ erupted
As tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran continue to escalate, concerns about the possibility of nuclear war are growing.
With retaliatory missile strikes and military operations already underway, many are wondering what might survive in the aftermath of such a catastrophic event.
While we all hope nuclear war remains a distant threat, the reality is that global conflicts could lead to the worst-case scenario.
The Escalation of Conflict Between the US, Israel, and Iran
On Friday, February 28, a series of US-Israeli strikes on Iran resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation, Iran launched missile strikes targeting US military facilities across the Middle East.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Jordan reported missile or drone strikes believed to have been launched by Iran.
Simultaneously, Israel has continued its attacks on Iran, also targeting Lebanon and promising to deploy ground troops in an effort to “advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon in order to prevent fire on Israeli border communities.”
The situation has also caught the attention of global powers like Russia and China.
Russia relies on Iranian drones, while China depends on Iranian oil.
Adding fuel to the fire, Iran’s proxy militias - Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and Shia militias across Iraq and Syria - could soon be drawn into the conflict, heightening the risk of further escalation.
The Dreadful Possibility of Nuclear War
While the possibility of nuclear war that results in the complete annihilation of the planet remains unlikely in the near future (given that nuclear-armed nations aren't currently at war with each other), the potential for catastrophic escalation is still on the table.
If the unthinkable were to happen, bestselling author Annie Jacobsen, known for her book Nuclear War: A Scenario, suggests that only two countries would survive the aftermath - New Zealand and Australia.
Jacobsen, who appeared on the Diary Of A CEO podcast, painted a chilling picture of what a global nuclear war could look like.
She predicted that around five billion people would be dead within the first 72 minutes of a nuclear strike, and the world’s population would face unimaginable consequences.
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What Would Happen to the Earth After a Nuclear War?
According to Jacobsen, the world as we know it would change drastically in the wake of a nuclear war.
With most of the population gone and much of the land scorched by nuclear fire, Earth would face a series of devastating consequences, one of which would be the onset of a mini-ice age.
“Most of the world, certainly the mid-latitudes, would be covered in sheets of ice … places like Iowa and Ukraine would be just snow for 10 years,” Jacobsen explained. The drastic drop in temperature would decimate agriculture, leading to widespread famine and death.
Agriculture wouldn't just fail from cold temperatures—it would also collapse due to radiation poisoning.
The ozone layer would be severely damaged and destroyed, rendering it impossible to be outside under the sunlight. People would be forced to live underground just to survive.
To gain a better understanding of the severity of these effects, Jacobsen worked closely with climate expert Professor Brian Toon.
Professor Toon predicted that only New Zealand and Australia would be able to sustain agriculture in such a dire scenario. If you want to survive after a nuclear war, he suggested, heading to these countries would be your best bet.