Expert Warns Only Two Countries Could Survive Global Nuclear War
Fears of nuclear conflict have intensified following attacks on Iran by the US and Israel, with global concern over escalation and the potential for catastrophic consequences.
The strikes, which occurred on Friday, February 28, resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and triggered retaliatory strikes on US military facilities. Six US service members have been confirmed dead, while Iranian casualty figures remain unverified. The conflict has also affected several Middle Eastern nations, including Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, with Israel continuing missile attacks on Lebanon.
The escalation has drawn condemnation from major powers including Russia, China, and North Korea, raising fears of a broader confrontation. With several nations possessing nuclear weapons, experts warn that the consequences of a nuclear exchange could be globally devastating.
Only Two Countries Could Sustain Life, Experts Say
Speaking on the Diary Of A CEO podcast, bestselling author and nuclear warfare expert Annie Jacobsen outlined a chilling scenario. She warned that a full-scale nuclear war could kill up to five billion people within the first 72 minutes, triggering a “mini-ice age” that would devastate agriculture worldwide.
“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 said. “Agriculture would fail, and when agriculture fails, people just die.”
Jacobsen and climate expert Professor Brian Toon added that radiation exposure from a damaged ozone layer would force survivors to live underground for safety.
According to their analysis, only two countries—New Zealand and Australia—would likely be able to sustain agriculture and support human life. Other relatively safer locations could include Switzerland, Iceland, South Africa, Tuvalu, and Chile, largely due to their distance from nuclear powers and capacity for self-sustaining food production.
The experts’ warnings underscore the global stakes of escalating military conflicts and the existential risks posed by nuclear weapons.
