Nuclear Attack on Iran Would Be Mutual Suicide, Says Masood Khan

Islamabad (GNP): The use of nuclear weapons against Iran would be catastrophic, legally and morally indefensible, and tantamount to an act of mutual suicide, with devastating consequences for the Middle East and the wider international community, said Sardar Masood Khan, Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, China and the United Nations, and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking in a television interview, Sardar Masood Khan said that while the possibility of renewed military action against Iran could not be entirely dismissed, he did not consider the use of nuclear weapons by the United States a likely option. He outlined three possible courses of action: a conventional military strike in coordination with Israel, continued negotiations involving the United States, Iran and Qatar, or the extreme option of nuclear weapons.

He observed that diplomatic negotiations remained underway, with proposals reportedly conveyed to Iran concerning the opening of the Pickaxe Mountain facility and the lifting of the US naval blockade. He stressed that diplomacy and negotiations should be given priority over further military escalation.

Khan warned that any nuclear attack would have consequences extending far beyond Iran. Europe, the Gulf states and several Asian countries would face serious repercussions, particularly in economic and public health terms. He emphasised that the use of nuclear weapons should remain beyond imagination and that every responsible leader must recognise the catastrophic implications of such a decision.

Referring to President Donald Trump’s previous statements threatening the destruction of Iranian civilisation, Khan expressed concern over the disregard for international legal norms reflected in such rhetoric. He said that nuclear weapons were not an instrument of ordinary military strategy and that their employment would carry consequences impossible to contain.

Discussing the political pressures surrounding the conflict, Khan said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was facing significant domestic political challenges and had been pressing Washington for further military action against Iran. He suggested that Netanyahu’s political calculations could increase the risk of escalation, particularly if he sought to draw the United States into another confrontation.

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Khan also referred to President Trump’s domestic political difficulties, including declining public approval and growing economic concerns among American voters. He observed that criticism of the administration’s decisions on Iran could intensify political pressure ahead of the US midterm elections.

Reflecting on Pakistan’s nuclear policy, Khan said the country’s nuclear capability had been developed fundamentally for defence and deterrence, to prevent aggression rather than initiate conflict. He described nuclear war as mutual suicide, warning that an exchange between India and Pakistan could cause the immediate deaths of tens of millions of people.

He further cautioned that a nuclear confrontation involving Iran could trigger wider regional consequences, including unpredictable retaliatory developments.

Khan concluded that nuclear weapons must never become an instrument of political pressure or military adventurism. Strategic restraint, responsible leadership and sustained diplomacy remain essential to preventing a catastrophe with consequences for generations.