Nuclear Historian Reveals 15 US Cities Most Likely Targeted in World War III

With global alliances balanced on a knife’s edge and leadership often characterized by volatile egos and megalomania, the ingredients for a dramatic escalation are present and accounted for. This “bullish” approach to statesmanship has been further complicated by recent events: the high-stakes capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which sent shockwaves through South America, and the administration’s stated willingness to intervene in the internal chaos currently gripping Iran.

The Targets: A Map of Nuclear Vulnerability

The conversation surrounding “the Big One” is no longer confined to speculative fiction. Nuclear historian Professor Alex Wellerstein of the Stevens Institute of Technology has provided a chilling breakdown of the 15 U.S. cities most likely to be targeted in a nuclear strike. Speaking in 2025, Wellerstein noted that the nature of the attack would dictate the target: a peer-state adversary like Russia would aim for “counter-force” targets to disable retaliation, while a rogue actor might prioritize “counter-value” targets—symbolic or high-population hubs.