What Iran Just Taught Us About Prepping (And Why It’s Already Too Late If You’re Waiting)

It doesn’t always start with a bang. Sometimes it creeps in—slow, silent, like mold in the walls of a forgotten basement. One day you’re shopping for bread. The next? There’s none. And then the lights go out—not just electricity, but the internet, your phone signal, the connection to the outside world. That’s what just happened in Iran.

And folks, it wasn’t a movie. It was real. Is real.

1. Poof. The Internet Vanished. Just… gone.

You wake up. Twitter’s not loading. Instagram’s dead. No Telegram, no WhatsApp, not even Google Maps. That happened. The Iranian regime flipped the kill-switch on digital life like it was nothing. People couldn’t even message relatives to say, “We’re safe.” Or not safe. No one knew. Silence became the norm.

The Prepper Gut-Punch:
If your comms plan starts and ends with your iPhone, you’re already behind. Think walkie-talkies. CB radios. Ham (though yeah, it takes learning—don’t groan). And printed contacts—on actual paper—because SIM cards are fragile dreams.

2. Hyperinflation Doesn’t Knock. It Bulldozes.

Eggs were cheap—until they weren’t. Bread too. One mother was quoted as saying, “I used to buy rice in sacks… now I just sniff it in the store and walk away.” The Iranian rial plunged faster than a cheap tent in a windstorm. Prices tripled in weeks.

Real Talk:
This isn’t theoretical. This isn’t “maybe someday.” Currency collapses happen now, and hard assets suddenly matter—like silver coins, or even just extra socks (yes, socks… if you’ve ever bartered for warmth, you know). Diversify. Don’t keep your entire lifeboat in one currency.

3. When the Pharmacies Close, What Then?

People begged for antibiotics online. Insulin became a luxury item. Hospitals? Overrun. Empty shelves. Sanctions crushed supply chains, and suddenly, getting your hands on a Band-Aid felt like winning the lottery.

The Shiver-Down-Your-Spine Moment:
Your kid has a fever—102, 103—and there’s no Tylenol. Or maybe it’s your spouse’s blood pressure meds. Gone. Just gone. What then? Stockpile now. Don’t overthink it—start with the basics. Bandaids, ibuprofen, anti-diarrheals, antiseptics. Learn the plants in your backyard too. Dandelion isn’t just a weed.

4. The Government Isn’t Your Friend During Collapse (And Sometimes Before It)

Here’s the part we don’t say out loud enough: when the chaos starts, governments don’t always protect—they contain. Curfews. Checkpoints. Forced conscription. Food rationing, but not to you. Videos surfaced of civilians being detained just for having too much rice.

The Bitter Prepper Truth:
OPSEC isn’t a buzzword. It’s survival. You do not tell your neighbors about your stocked pantry. You don’t “show off” your preps to your cousin’s friend. Loose lips… well, they get your door kicked in. Be friendly. Be helpful. But be invisible.

5. The Shelves Went Empty, But The People Didn’t Stop Needing To Eat

Roads were blocked. Gas stations either shut or were overrun. Food? If it came in, it came in late and left fast. Within hours, markets were stripped bare. There were literal fights over chicken—shouting, grabbing, pushing. You might laugh until it’s your turn in line.

Hard Lesson:
Have food. Now. Not tomorrow. Not when things “look bad.” You need shelf-stable, calorically dense, emotionally comforting supplies—beans, rice, oats, peanut butter, chocolate, canned soup. Don’t forget the seasoning. Eating plain lentils for three weeks will make you lose the will to keep going.

6. Escape Isn’t a Strategy—It’s a Myth for Most

Bug out where, exactly? Airports closed. Borders? Monitored. Roads? Roadblocked. The dream of “just heading to the cabin” dissolved like aspirin in water. Many were trapped. And when the grid buckled, so did people’s illusions.

So Here’s the Uncomfortable Prep:
Your best plan might not be the sexy wilderness escape—it might be right where you are. Make it strong. Make it safe. Know every hiding spot in your home. Practice living without power. Make your street your compound.

7. No One’s Coming to Save You

Not the U.N. Not the Red Cross. Not your cousin in Canada. Sanctions made aid nearly impossible. Bureaucracy became a brick wall. The people? Left to survive on their own. They shared, sometimes. They hoarded, sometimes. And many just… waited.

This Is the Takeaway:
Help is not a guarantee. It’s a luxury. You need to be the help. Build community, yes, but don’t rely on it exclusively. Be your own emergency plan. Every gallon of water, every extra can of beans—it’s a whisper in the dark saying: “I’ve got you.”

Final Thoughts (Because Honestly, It’s All a Bit Much)

It’s not about doom. Not really. It’s about readiness. It’s about love—because what greater love is there than preparing now so your child doesn’t go hungry? So your spouse isn’t cold? So you don’t have to beg a stranger for antibiotics?

Iran isn’t a far-off warning. It’s a mirror. A reminder. An echo of what can happen anywhere when systems stretch too thin. The question isn’t “Could it happen here?”

It’s, What will you do when it does?