When Franco dreamed of the atomic bomb against Morocco

Under the leadership of dictator Francisco Franco, Spain embarked on an ambitious but secret quest: Project Islero. Born in the wake of Morocco’s independence in 1956, this project aimed to equip Spain with a nuclear arsenal, thus enabling it to thwart Moroccan ambitions.

The emancipation of Morocco and the ensuing Ifni War served as catalysts for this controversial project. Franco, fearing for Spanish territorial integrity, including Ceuta, Melilla, the Canary Islands and the Sahara, saw nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence and to strengthen the country’s geopolitical position.