The government body responsible for health in Iran rejected claims that it distributed radiation-blocking medication to residents living near its atomic energy installations. The denial follows a report from The Times, which cited an unnamed health official to say that iodine tablets were being provided to communities within a 2 to 3 kilometer radius of sensitive nuclear sites as a wartime preparedness measure.
Iranian state television had previously characterized the claims as “pure fiction” as tensions escalate over the possibility of U.S. strikes on the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility. The disputes occur after former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent estimated the probability of a U.S. tactical nuclear strike in the region to be above 10%, while state media had already broadcast civil-defense guides instructing citizens to shelter for at least 24 hours during an attack.