Iranian state television has broadcast a guide telling people how to survive a nuclear explosion. The eight-minute video lists simple steps for shelter, washing and staying indoors.
The video was published by Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, on 29 October. It aired on state television on 3 November, as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high.
What the guide tells people to do
First, do not look directly at the bright flash of an explosion. People caught outside should lie flat behind a solid barrier and cover their head and face until the blast wave passes.
Once the blast wave has passed, people should go into the nearest building. They should stay away from windows and outside walls. They should not shelter in a car, and they should not stay outside to watch or film the blast.
People indoors should move to a basement or a central room. They should close doors and windows, and switch off air conditioning and ventilation that pulls in air from outside.
To reduce radioactive contamination, people should take off their outer clothes carefully, without shaking them, and seal them in a bag. They should wash exposed skin with lukewarm water and soap, and use normal shampoo without conditioner.
People should use bottled water and packaged food, and stay in shelter for at least 24 hours. They should not assume it is safe after 24 hours. They should wait for official instructions before leaving. Health officials also warned against taking iodine tablets without medical advice.
Where the video came from
The video was issued by emergency services in Isfahan province, as part of Iran’s annual Passive Defence Week. Ebrahim Adelzadeh, deputy head of education and research at the Isfahan Red Crescent Society, told IRNA that a basement or a central room away from windows can be a suitable shelter if it can be reached safely.
Iran has marked Passive Defence Week for more than ten years. Reports say no earlier nuclear-attack guide like this one had been seen before.
Why it is spreading now
The video spread online as an unverified claim circulated that the Trump administration might launch a nuclear strike on Iran within days. Al Arabiya reported on 3 November that Iranian state TV had broadcast the warning.
Tensions are high. The United States carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island this week, as reported in US Strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island After Iranian Missile Fired at US Jet, Officials Say.
What the guide does not mean
Tehran has not linked the guidance to any specific threat. The guide does not mean that a nuclear attack is about to happen, and there is no official confirmation of an impending nuclear strike on Iran.
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