Iran denies distributing iodine pills near nuclear sites ahead of possible US strike

Iran’s Health Ministry denied a report by the British newspaper The Times that iodine pills were being distributed to residents near nuclear facilities in preparation for possible US strikes, calling the publication of unverified reports at this time “irresponsible.”

Iran’s Health Ministry denied a report by the British newspaper The Times claiming that it was distributing iodine pills to communities near nuclear facilities in preparation for possible US strikes. Hossein Kermanpour, head of the ministry’s Public Relations and Information Center, said: “No official from the Health Ministry spoke to The Times, and the statement attributed to the ministry is untrue.”

Kermanpour added that the health system was prepared for various scenarios and threats from an “enemy that shows no mercy even to children,” but clarified that declaring a state of war was not within the ministry’s authority. He described the publication of unverified reports at such a time as “irresponsible.”

The newspaper had quoted an unnamed ministry official as saying that Iran seeks to distribute these pills during every war within a range of two to three kilometers around its nuclear facilities. The pills help protect the thyroid gland from radiation. The Sun also reported that Iranian authorities had published a video containing guidance for residents in the event of an attack on the underground fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz.

مجسّم لمحطة بوشهر للطاقة النووية في إيران (أرشيف)

This comes as Washington considers resuming military operations against Iran. Fars News Agency reported in April that the distribution of the pills began before the 12-day war in June 2025 around the Bushehr nuclear power plant, while Iranian officials had previously warned against taking iodine pills without medical guidance.

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