"This is exactly how Threads happened!" Current US-Iran tensions echo plot of Sheffield nuclear war film

Users on social media have been quick to draw comparisons between military action between the two nations following the plot of the 1984 movie which showed Sheffield in the aftermath of a nuclear attack on South Yorkshire.

New Statesman journalist Jonn Elledge tweeted: “Is this a bad time to mention that an escalating clash in Iran is what leads to the nuclear holocaust in Threads?”

And fellow users were quick to agree and share their memories of the harrowing film which is still widely remembered among those who saw it, 36 years on.

Ben Cartlidge wrote: “Seriously. This is EXACTLY how Threads happened.”

And Jacqui Wicks wrote: “On my way down the M1 towards Sheffield and I heard news on the radio about Iran and all I could think of was Threads ... ‘Jesus Christ they’ve done it.”

Another user, by the name of Glitch Knitter replied: “Threads is the most terrifying thing I have ever seen so, uh, thanks for this.”

Bill Brown added: “Large areas of Sheffield still haven’t recovered from the nuclear war in Threads. We’re not ready for another one yet.”

And Sarah Clamp wrote: “I remember watching that at school, scary stuff.”

Threads, written by Barry Hines, centres on two families as a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in Iran escalate.

The movie shows nuclear weapons raining down on South Yorkshire - including the former RAF Finningley air base near Doncaster and Tinsley Viaduct - and Sheffield Town Hall being destroyed.

Shot on a budget of £400,000, the film was the first of its kind to depict a nuclear winter.

It has been called "a film which comes closest to representing the full horror of nuclear war and its aftermath, as well as the catastrophic impact that the event would have on human culture.”

It was nominated for seven BAFTA awards in 1985 and won for Best Single Drama, Best Design, Best Film Cameraman and Best Film Editor.

The comparison between the film and current events comes after Iran targeted air bases housing US forces in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani last week.

The killing in a US drone attack was a major escalation in already deteriorating relations between Iran and the US.

US president Donald Trump has made a number of threats of military action against Iran in recent days, with Iranian officials making similar threats.