Given the current global climate and undeniable political tension, it’s hardly a surprise that the fear of war is present in the minds of the masses.
Part of President Donald Trump’s campaign for reelection was focused on keeping U.S. troops off of foreign battlefields, and yet after his actions in Venezuela – and considering his obsession with Greenland — the prospect of military action in the coming months doesn’t just appear plausible; it appears increasingly possible.
The greatest fear for people around the world is, obviously, the potential breakout of World War III. That is to say a war so all-encompassing and gigantic in scale that irreparable damage could be done to the planet and its inhabitants (us).
Optimists may well believe that a long list of things need to go wrong for a global, nuclear war to break out. The more pragmatic thinkers out there, however, will argue that the last year has seen us slide closer to a catastrophic conflict, not further away.
With seemingly erratic leaders calling the shots, global alliances perched precariously on a knife’s edge, and the usual villains, pride, ego, and megalomania, holding dominant positions on the field of play, there’s every reason to fear that some sort of dramatic escalation is destined to happen in the near future.
A nuclear historian has revealed the 15 US cities that could become immediate and clear targets should North America face attack by nuclear missiles.
As mentioned above, Trump’s overtly bullish approach to statesmanship of late has done little to calm the rising tide of trouble on the world stage. The U.S.’s surprise capture and extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is said to have alarmed much of South America, while Trump’s administration has said it could intervene in the ongoing political chaos in Iran.
On top of that, Trump has vexed and perplexed his NATO allies by insisting that the U.S. needs Greenland and will seek to annex the territory at any cost.
And that’s before we even touch upon the traditional rivals of Russia and China.
In any case, many in the U.S. are now at least considering the prospect of a war, one which folk assume will be waged on a nuclear scale.
Nuclear historian Professor Alex Wellerstein, of Stevens Institute of Technology, has previously discussed the potential reality of this, outlining 15 U.S. cities that may be targeted depending on who the aggressor is.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2025, Wellerstein said: “If the adversary is Russia and their goal is to disable US retaliation, command centers and ICBM sites will be hit first. If the attacker is a rogue actor, symbolic or densely populated areas might be targeted instead.”
Great Falls, Montana
With a population of just 60,422, it might be a surprise to see Great Falls on a potential attack list. Yet its proximity to Malmstrom Air Force Base – understood to control hundreds of nuclear missile silos which could threaten Russia and China in a World War – make it a potential target.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Another small city (with a population of just over 65,000), Cheyenne has the Francis E Warren Air Force Base within its borders.
The US Air Force has a control center for nuclear missile operations that operates out of it, meaning that it becomes an attractive target for U.S. enemies.
Ogden and Clearfield, Utah
Hill Air Force Base, one of the U.S.’ nuclear weapons centers, is located just south of Ogden and very close to Clearfield, Utah.
Again, neither city is densely populated (their combined population touches around 121,700), but they find themselves close to a site of extreme strategic importance.
Shreveport, Louisiana
The home of a number of B-52 bombers, the infamous aircraft capable of delivering city-leveling nuclear strikes.
The 177,900-ish Shreveport residents – who reside just six miles away – would likely be decimated by any atomic strike.
Honolulu, Hawaii
The tragedy at Pearl Harbour, infamously perpetrated by Japan in 1941, is a story everyone knows. Over 80 years on, the island of Hawaii remains a likely target for anyone looking to strike a blow to the U.S..
That’s due to the many naval and air units occupying the island.
Omaha, Nebraska
Offutt Air Force Base lies on the outskirts of Omaha, a city boasting in excess of 483,300 residents.
The base yet plays an important role in U.S. nuclear operations.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) – responsible for defending North American airspace – operates from the foot of the Rockies.
Needless to say, this makes it a lucrative target for any enemy wanting to cause casualties (488,664 people reside in Colorado Springs), and take out military bases.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is not only home to over 560,000 people, but also Kirtland Air Force Base, which boasts one of the largest nuclear arsenals in North America.
Washington, D.C.
Perhaps one of the more obvious targets for anyone looking to devastate the U.S. and deal a crippling blow. Washington D.C. is the site of the White House, the U.S. government, and just south of 700,000 residents.
Seattle, Washington
Home to more than 737,000 people and close to Naval Base Kitsap, a major US submarine and nuclear weapons base.
Seattle is also a global tech hub and major seaport, adding to the list of reasons it would make for a logical target.
Remaining cities
The remaining cities on this list aren’t situated close to nuclear warheads or important military stations, but they are places of high influence, not to mention densely-populated.
- San Francisco, California – 873,965 residents
- Houston, Texas – 2.3 million residents
- Chicago, Illinois – 2.75 million residents (over 9 million people in the wider Chicago metropolitan area)
- Los Angeles, California – 3.8 million residents
- New York City, New York – 8.8 million residents
Do you believe the world is on the brink of World War Three? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box.
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