Iranian State Media Issues Nuclear Strike Survival Guide Amid Carlson Claim

An eight-minute civil-defense video and a list of public instructions are telling Iranians how to respond if a nuclear weapon is detonated near them. The material is spreading online as an unverified assertion about a U.S. nuclear strike races across X.

Al Arabiya reported on Nov. 3 that Iranian state TV broadcast the warning. Clash Report could not confirm which channel aired it, or when. Tehran has not linked the guidance to any specific threat.

What the Warning Says

Al Arabiya’s Arabic-language report lists five points. Clash Report’s translation:

• Do not look at the intense flash of the explosion. Take cover behind a barrier, lie on the ground and cover the head and face.
• After the blast wave passes, enter the nearest building. Do not stay to watch or film, do not shelter in a car, and stay away from windows and exterior walls.
• Wash with lukewarm water and soap and use regular shampoo without conditioner. If showering is not possible, clean the face, hands and exposed skin with water or wet wipes.
• Use bottled water and packaged food, and be ready to stay in the shelter for at least 24 hours. If a fire breaks out or the building may collapse, move to a safer shelter.
• Do not assume the environment is safe after 24 hours. Follow official announcements and emergency statements for a safe way out.

A longer version of the instructions, posted on X by the Arabic-language account Axios_ar, adds more steps. It says to move to a basement or a central room, close doors and windows, and switch off air conditioning or any ventilation that draws in outside air. It also says to remove outer clothing without shaking it and seal it in a bag.

Where the Video Came From

India Today reported that Iran’s state news agency IRNA published the advisory and the video on Oct. 29, as part of Passive Defence Week. It said the video was issued by emergency services in Isfahan province.

Ebrahim Adelzadeh, deputy head of education and research at the Isfahan Red Crescent Society, told IRNA: “A basement or a room in the central part of a building, away from windows, can be a suitable shelter if it can be accessed safely.” Abbas Abedi, spokesperson for Isfahan’s pre-hospital emergency services, warned against taking iodine tablets without medical advice, India Today said.

The outlet noted that Iran has marked Passive Defence Week for more than a decade, but that it found no sign of an earlier nuclear-attack guide. During the June 2025 war, Iranian officials told the public radiation had not spread beyond the targeted sites.

Carlson’s Claim

The warning follows a long post on X by commentator Tucker Carlson, written early on Nov. 2 GMT. “Under pressure from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran,” he wrote.

Carlson named Pickaxe Mountain in central Iran as the target. He wrote that “No conventional weapon in the American arsenal can penetrate 300 feet of solid granite to destroy the tunnels where enrichment is supposedly taking place. The only military option is a nuclear strike.”

He quoted an unnamed “informed observer” as saying, “Bibi calls Trump about it every day.” Carlson wrote that Trump is likely to decide by Nov. 7, and that the president is “hesitating.” He cited no documents.

The post has passed 87 million views, according to X’s counter. Clash Report covered the claim when it appeared.

Washington and Israel Push Back

A White House official told The War Zone on Monday: “President Trump has a wide range of options available regarding Iran, and he will do what is right to keep the American people safe.” The official added that Carlson “has no insight into military planning or the Commander-in-Chief’s thinking,” TWZ reported.

The statement did not address nuclear weapons directly, IBTimes noted. Clash Report found no Pentagon statement.

Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, told Al Arabiya English that talk of a nuclear strike is “delusional.” “No one is even discussing it in the US, nor in Israel,” he said. He said Netanyahu is “not pressing President Trump.”

Iran analyst Vali Nasr, who quoted Carlson’s post, wrote on X: “This is quite an indictment of the administration if true not because US would consider such insanity but because it would do so under pressure from another country.”

Two nuclear-policy experts told TWZ a strike is unlikely. Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists called it “highly unlikely.” Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association said, “Is it likely? No.”

What Trump Has Said

Trump told Newsmax on Oct. 15: “No, I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to.” He has said the same in April and on Aug. 31, TWZ reported.

On Saturday he said the U.S. still has to “take care” of one or two Iranian nuclear sites. “We can do that in 10 minutes. We have that planned,” he said, according to Axios. On Monday night he told Fox News host Sean Hannity the U.S. could hit Pickaxe “in one hour, OK, as soon as we want, at any time we want.”

Trump also told Axios: “One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush.” NBC’s Garrett Haake said Trump answered “No” on Monday when he shouted a question about striking Iran again after the midterms. That is Haake’s account of a shouted exchange, not a formal statement.

The Target

Pickaxe Mountain, or Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is a tunnel complex near the Natanz enrichment site. Iran denies nuclear work there. In September, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said satellite images showed the site did not yet appear capable of enrichment, IBTimes reported. The site has not been struck.

Clash Report has explained the B61-11 bunker buster that analysts link to the site.

Qeshm Strikes and Doha Talks

The U.S. carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday, three U.S. officials told CNN. They called the action defensive. One said it was a response to Iran firing at a U.S. aircraft, CNN reported. The Wall Street Journal first reported the operation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that consultations through mediators “are very intensive,” per IRNA, via Reuters. He said “everything depends on the political rationality of Washington.”

Iranian negotiators left Doha on Sunday after three days of talks with Qatari mediators, an official told Reuters, saying it was not because of difficulties. A draft proposal is circulating. Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Monday night, and no final agreement has been reached.