07/04/2026
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07/04/2026
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An Iranian flag flutters in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, Aug. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
TEHRAN (AP), Apr 7: An Iranian official on Tuesday called on young people across the country to gather around key power plants and form “human chains,” in what appears to be a response to escalating tensions and threats of potential strikes by Donald Trump.
Alireza Rahimi, identified by state television as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, made the appeal in a video message aired during a news broadcast.
“I invite all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors,” Rahimi said, urging them to gather at 2 p.m. on Tuesday around power plants, which he described as “national assets” belonging to the country’s future generations.
The call comes amid heightened regional tensions, with fears of possible strikes targeting critical infrastructure.
Iran has previously organized similar demonstrations—often described as human shields—around sensitive sites, including nuclear facilities, during periods of confrontation with Western nations.
The tactic has historical precedent in the region. During the Gulf War, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein deployed both domestic and foreign civilians near potential targets in an effort to deter attacks by U.S.-led coalition forces.
It remains unclear how widely Rahimi’s call will be heeded or how authorities plan to manage such gatherings near critical infrastructure.
