Israel Destroys Iraqi Reactor: Nuclear Threat Eliminated
Eight Israeli F-16s destroyed Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor in a precision airstrike that lasted under two minutes, eliminating Saddam Hussein's pathway to nuclear weapons. The raid drew universal condemnation, including from the United States, but established the doctrine of preemptive strikes against nuclear proliferation that Israel would invoke again against Syria in 2007.
June 7, 1981
45 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Iraq
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nuclear reactor
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Israeli Air Force
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Osiraq
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Operation Opera
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nuclear weapons
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Israeli Air Force
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Iraq
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Nuclear reactor
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Operation Opera
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Osirak
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Israel Defense Forces
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Journée de Jérusalem
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Six-Day War
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