The streets of Tehran are seeing an unprecedented outflow of residents, as anxiety intensifies over the prospect of a full-blown war between Iran and Israel.
With tensions soaring after a series of missile exchanges and increasingly bellicose rhetoric, Tehran’s exit routes have become paralysed with traffic. Petrol stations are overwhelmed, and queues snake for kilometres, while large sections of the city appear deserted.
The surge in panic follows a weekend warning by Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, who stated bluntly that Tehran could face obliteration if attacks on Israeli civilians persisted. On Monday, Katz took to social media, declaring that the citizens of Tehran “will soon pay” for Iran’s role in recent hostilities.
Many Iranians have hastily packed up and left, heading primarily towards the country’s east or north, where regions like the Caspian Sea coast, typically known for holidaymakers, have become informal refuges.
Zadshad, a 35-year-old teacher, fled to Rasht with his wife and children. “It took us more than a day to get here. The roads were completely jammed,” he explained. “But even here, things are tough. There’s hardly any food left, and everything is overcrowded.”
Prices for temporary accommodation in these areas have surged as thousands attempt to secure safety.
Others are seeking to leave Iran altogether. A 60-year-old media worker shared his plan to flee with his family to Istanbul, having borrowed €5,000 from a friend to make the journey.
“We’re just trying to find the safest border route and waiting for the roads to clear,” he said.
But many are finding escape impossible. One Tehran-based official, hoping to cross into Azerbaijan with his 82-year-old mother on the advice of a relative in the United States, was forced to turn back.
“Between the traffic, fuel shortages, and my mother’s condition, we had no choice,” he said. “We’re waiting for another chance.”
As the geopolitical crisis deepens, civilians caught in the middle are left grappling with impossible decisions and uncertain futures.
