WANA (Jul 19) – Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani stated that the city’s metro stations were not originally designed to serve as shelters, and emphasized the need to construct additional underground facilities to address potential crises.
“Metro stations in Tehran were not built with the intention of functioning as shelters,” Zakani said. “I personally inspected several stations and, during the recent 12-day conflict, we implemented certain emergency measures to provide services to the public. However, we identified some gaps in preparedness, which we are now working to address so that—God forbid, if something happens—we can fully utilize these spaces as emergency shelters.”
Regarding the construction of new shelters, Zakani added: “I’ve also visited some of the existing shelters in Tehran that were built in the past and now require renovation. Beyond upgrading those, we must move toward constructing new subsurface structures—multi-purpose facilities that can, for instance, function as parking lots under normal conditions but are equipped with the necessary features to serve as safe shelters during emergencies.”
The Hebrew message on the mural in Palestine Square, Tehran, following the Zionist regime’s attack on residential areas in Iran reads: “Look for shelter under the rubble!” / WANA News Agency

The Hebrew message on the mural in Palestine Square, Tehran, following the Zionist regime’s attack on residential areas in Iran reads: “Look for shelter under the rubble!” / WANA News Agency