Iranian health authorities have continued handing out potassium iodide tablets to residents of Bushehr, a southern city that hosts the country’s only operational nuclear power plant. The distribution forms part of an emergency preparedness plan.
A health official said the programme first focused on areas around the plant before extending to the entire city. A total of 180,000 tablets have been distributed under a decision by crisis management authorities, the official said.
Tensions with Washington shape emergency measures
The announcement comes amid continued tensions between Iran and the United States, following the military offensive that Washington and Israel launched against Iran on February 28.
Also read: Explosions Heard on Iran's Qeshm Island Amid US Strike Reports
On November 1, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could strike Iran’s remaining suspected nuclear facilities within 10 minutes. He specifically mentioned Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected underground nuclear site.
What the iodine tablets protect against
The tablets are designed to protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine in the event of a nuclear or radiological incident. They do not guard against other radioactive substances or external radiation.
Reports indicate that authorities have been giving tablets to residents within roughly 2–3 km of nuclear sites, a measure described as part of wartime or radiological emergency preparedness. Bushehr’s location on Iran’s Gulf coast makes such planning a particular concern for local authorities.
