The claim that Indira Gandhi backed off from a joint Israel-India operation to bomb Pakistan’s nuclear facility in Kahuta in 1982 aligns with historical accounts. A 2021 article from The Week reported that Pakistan’s nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan claimed Indira Gandhi initially approved the operation but withdrew under U.S. pressure from President Ronald Reagan [The Week, 2021-05-28].
The operation was inspired by Israel’s 1981 Operation Opera, which successfully destroyed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. Wikipedia confirms that on June 7, 1981, Israeli F-16A jets, escorted by F-15As, bombed the reactor, fearing it could produce nuclear weapons [Wikipedia, Operation Opera, 2025-05-03].
Strategic analyst Bharat Karnad, cited in The Week, detailed that the 1982 plan involved Israeli F-16s launching from Udhampur, India, to strike Kahuta. Retired Israeli Major-General Aharon Yaariv confirmed Indira Gandhi’s initial approval and last-minute cancellation [The Week, 2021-05-28].
The claim that Rajiv Gandhi also backed out of a similar operation in 1984 is supported by Khan’s statements in the same article, noting another aborted plan due to U.S. pressure [The Week, 2021-05-28].
Pakistan successfully conducted its first nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, becoming a nuclear power, which aligns with the post’s implication that the failed operations allowed Pakistan to develop nuclear weapons [The Week, 2021-05-28].
The U.S. pressure on India reflects Cold War dynamics, as Reagan’s administration sought to maintain balance in South Asia, supporting Pakistan as a counterweight to Soviet-aligned India during the 1980s.