Iran did not release a list of U.S. targets, despite social media claims

Social media posts raised concerns amid the Iran war about a list of U.S. cities and military bases Iran plans to attack. Users claimed the lists came from Iranian leaders, when they really originated from news stories predating the war. 

"IRAN DROPPED A LIST. SUMMER IS CANCELED," a March 3 Instagram post said. 

The list of 11 cities includes technology and government hubs, such as Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, and places with military bases, from Honolulu to Omaha, Nebraska, to Shreveport, Louisiana.

This list or similar ones have been circulating across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

The Daily Mail published a list about which U.S. cities would be vulnerable to nuclear attacks in "World War 3." The International Business Times presented them in a Jan.19 article headlined, "Full list of 15 US cities on nuclear target if 'World War 3' erupts — is yours one of them?" 

Alex Wellerstein, a Stevens Institute of Technology nuclear historian who was quoted in the Daily Mail story, told PolitiFact that the most vulnerable cities depend on the adversary launching the attack. 

"In general I would emphasize that no matter the scenario imagined, we do not know the war plans that such nations have, and so could only speculate based on what we think their targeting philosophy, strategic goals, and technical capabilities are," Wellerstein said by email. 

Since the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes Feb. 28, Iran’s counterattack has targeted Israel and U.S. military bases in Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait. The March 1 attack in Kuwait killed six U.S. service members.

In an internal memo obtained by ABC News, the Department of Homeland Security said an Iranian homeland attack on the U.S. is unlikely, but some lone actors and cyberattacks pose a threat.

The DHS bulletin said lone offenders are not typically motivated by Iranian issues, but U.S. and Israeli actions might lead some people to attack targets perceived as Jewish, pro-Israel or linked to the U.S. government or military. 

A 2025 federal government assessment estimates that Iran is years away from producing long-range missiles that could reach the continental U.S., and nuclear policy experts agree. 

"I do not think Iran has the nuclear capabilities to attack the continental US. I don't think they have a nuclear capability at all. There is no reason to think that even if they did have a nuclear capability, that they had any technical means of reaching the United States with it," Wellerstein said. 

 Our ruling

An Instagram video said Iran released a list of U.S. target cities. 

The Daily Mail published a list of potential targets in a hypothetical World War III. We found no evidence that Iran released a list of U.S. cities it will target.  

The statement is not accurate. We rate this claim False.