Tehran plans to equip metro stations as civilian air-raid shelters

Authorities in Tehran are developing plans to equip the Iranian capital’s metro stations for use as civilian shelters during air raids, according to Iranian media reports.

Mehdi Chamran, head of the Tehran City Council, said work was underway to prepare metro stations to accommodate civilians during emergencies and to identify the facilities and services required at or near the stations.

“We are currently working on equipping subway stations so they can be used as shelters,” Chamran was quoted as saying by the Iranian news website Didban. “We are also identifying the necessary facilities located within or in the immediate vicinity of these stations.”

Authorities are also expected to install signs directing residents to designated shelter areas, according to the report.

The initiative follows periods of Israeli and US airstrikes on Iran, during which officials urged residents of Tehran to seek protection in underground metro stations.

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Unlike Israel, where shelters and protected spaces form part of a nationwide civil-defence system, Iran does not have a comparable network of dedicated air-raid shelters available to much of its population.

Tehran’s metro network has approximately 160 stations, some of which Iranian media report are located more than 40 meters below street level, potentially providing protection during aerial attacks.

However, the network’s accessibility during an emergency could present challenges in a metropolitan area with a population of millions, particularly for residents located far from metro stations.

The plans come as Iranian authorities review civil-defence measures amid continuing regional tensions and concerns over the possibility of further military escalation.

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