Iranian authorities are converting metro stations and underground parking facilities across Tehran into public war shelters, signaling growing concern among Iranian leaders over the possibility of a major military confrontation involving the United States and Israel.

Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani announced Thursday that underground infrastructure would be repurposed as shelters, according to Open Source Intelligence Monitor. The move comes amid a sharp escalation in regional tensions and follows recent reports suggesting that Iran’s top leadership is preparing for potential strikes.

The announcement follows a report last week by Iran International, an Iranian opposition outlet, which said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had relocated to a fortified underground shelter in Tehran. The report also said that Khamenei’s son, Masoud Khamenei, has assumed responsibility for managing the supreme leader’s day-to-day affairs and is serving as a key channel of communication with Iran’s executive branches.

The heightened alert comes after President Trump said Friday that U.S. naval ships were moving into waters near Iran. A separate Reuters report on Wednesday said Trump had delivered a strongly worded message to Tehran, warning of possible U.S. military action if Iran refuses to agree to a nuclear deal.

At the same time, Iran has moved to bolster its military posture. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Thursday that the Iranian army has distributed 1,000 new drones to multiple branches of the armed forces in response to what it described as rising security threats.

Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said the military is focused on maintaining readiness for rapid combat and delivering what he called a “crushing response” to any potential aggressor. Tasnim reported that the drones are designed for both combat and reconnaissance operations across land, air and sea.

The escalating standoff is also taking a toll on Iran’s economy. The Iranian rial fell to a new record low of 1.67 million to the U.S. dollar, marking an approximate 16 percent decline since Sunday.

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