The recent joint United States and Israeli attacks on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliatory strikes and spreading violence across the region. The strikes, which began on Saturday (28 February), “stoked fears of a wider war and damage to the world economy,” with reactions ranging from jubilation to condemnation.
Experts say safety depends on “political neutrality, low militarisation and geographic isolation.” Even so, they warn that “safe” is relative, especially if nuclear weapons are involved.
Remote and peaceful countries often cited as safer include:
• Antarctica – Its isolation and lack of permanent population make it unlikely to be involved in conflict.
• Iceland – Ranked number one on the 2025 Global Peace Index for minimal militarisation, the BBC notes it has held this top spot since 2008.
• New Zealand – Far from major conflicts, its agricultural self-sufficiency and terrain offer resilience. Annie Jacobsen said on the Diary of a CEO podcast that New Zealand and Australia are likely to be “pretty much what’s left” after all-out nuclear war.
• Tuvalu – A tiny Pacific island with little strategic value and over 3,000 km from major landmasses.
• Argentina – Large, agriculturally strong, and distant from likely war zones; its crops could survive nuclear winter effects, according to a 2022 Nature Food study.
Other countries considered safer include Switzerland, Indonesia, Bhutan, Chile, Fiji, and South Africa, thanks to neutrality, geography, and resources.
Meanwhile, speculation arose when a 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck southern Iran’s Gerash region on 3 March. Some suggested it was a covert nuclear test, but seismologists note that Gerash lies on an active fault line and nuclear tests “have very different signatures,” consistent with past analysis by the CTBTO.
