The chances of global warfare commencing appear to be growing by the day following the start of Operation Epic Fury, as air strikes from the United States and Israel have prompted Iran to retaliate with weaponry of its own.
While the United States has remained a prominent player in numerous geopolitical conflicts over the last century, it has actually been a very long time since a nation directly attacked American soil.
That hasn't managed to quell fears that it could happen soon, however, especially as Iran appears to be unwilling to respond to negotiation attempts from the Trump administration following heavy bombing that killed Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
Not only has Iran launched counterattacks towards US and Israeli interests in the Middle East across neighboring nations, but it has also closed off the vital Strait of Hormuz trade route, throwing the global economy into chaos.
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The worst could still be yet to come though if you believe people that fear we're on the precipice of nuclear war, as certain parts of the United States emerge as primary targets for catastrophic air strikes.
As shared by the Express, one frightening map has shared the areas of the United States that are most likely to be hit in the event of nuclear war, prompting many to seek out the safest areas of the country in response.
Effectively any area across the nation that is densely populated is a potential target, with both the east and west coasts littered with weapon drop zones, yet three major clusters in the west and northwest of the country might leave you particularly concerned.
These spots, located in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and North Dakota, are all home to the United States' largest missile silos and therefore would prove to be a key target for any nation wishing to take out the potentially strongest part of their opposition's military arm.
Arguably the only thing that has kept the world from nuclear warfare all these years is the threat of mutually assured destruction, so if you were able to take out the option for that then you could continue to bomb without fear of significant retaliation.
Unfortunately this would leave the areas surrounding these silos and states effectively unrecoverable, as the level of radiation – measured in 'grays' (Gy) – would be around 84 Gy, which is over ten times the point at which it becomes lethal for anyone within several days of exposure.
While there are a number of states that would be safer than others, experts warn that any significant nuclear attack on American soil would affect the entire country, urging that nowhere would be 'truly safe' from radiation exposure following an explosion.