Pre-empting the Islamic bomb: Israel's strikes on Iran and the ghost of Kahuta

Pakistan's contribution to Iran's nuclearization, done mainly by A.Q. Khan's network, delivered key technology, with controversy concerning official involvement.

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cess to Kahuta plans, were also refused, affecting India's intelligence network. Morarji-bhai was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the country's highest civilian honour. The quest for nuclear weapons among Islamic nations has been a cause of global concern for many years, especially in the context of regional stability and international security. Pakistan and Iran, two of the most geopolitically influential countries in the world, have been the leaders of this quest in many cases, often couched within the discourse of the "Islamic Nuclear Bomb."

PAKISTAN'S NUCLEARISATION The Pakistani nuclear program was initiated in the 1970s, with Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan playing a leading role in creating uranium enrichment. The involvement of the United States in nuclearization of Pakistan can be traced back to the 1950s when technical training and nuclear technology were transferred under President Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" initiative. The US and Pakistan in 1955 signed an agreement for peaceful and industrial purposes for nuclear energy, including a $350,000 pool-type reactor. The US gave the Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor-I (PARR-I) by 1965 under an arrangement with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and Argonne National Laboratory. The initial collaboration gave Pakistan its nuclear capability, with the US providing Pakistan's inaugural research reactor and fuel.