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| People began to flee Tehran and head towards the countryside on Sunday as Israeli attacks on the Iranian capital intensified. |
🇮🇷 A City Under Siege: Unprecedented Fear Sweeps Tehran
Tehran's residents are reeling from relentless Israeli airstrikes targeting military and nuclear sites, with the emotional and structural toll unfolding across the capital. Panic has spread through the streets as metro stations, mosques, and schools scramble to offer makeshift shelters. At least 585 people have been killed and over 1,300 wounded, plunging daily life into chaos.
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Shops and schools remain shut.
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Communications are heavily restricted.
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Metro stations are overcrowded, and mosques act as informal bunkers.
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Evacuation Crisis: Deserted Highways and Impassable Roads
A mass exodus has unfolded with residents fleeing toward the suburbs or crossing into neighbouring countries like Turkey and Armenia. Traffic delays stretch for hours or days as shortages in petrol and road capacity intensify.
Narratives from those fleeing highlight breakdowns in infrastructure:
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Marta* waited 12 hours in metro stations before escaping with her family.
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Anahita*, fleeing to Kerman, reports gas rationing (25 L per vehicle) and steep inflation that doubled food prices.
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Iranians queue with their vehicles at a petrol station after Israeli strikes on Tehran. |
Civilian Struggle: Fear, Survival, and Moral Ambiguity
While some Iranians express support for targeting military sites, many lament the human cost suffered by civilians.
“We don’t know if tomorrow we will be alive.” – Shirin, 49
“I’m constantly afraid a missile might hit my home…” – Anahita, in her 30s.
Courage entwines with sorrow—residents blame the regime's unpreparedness but resent foreign intervention leading to further destruction.
Infrastructure Breakdown: Shelters, Supplies & Services Paralyzed
Tehran lacks adequate bomb shelters; the city is dominated by high-rise buildings offering little protection. Shelters in metro stations, schools, and mosques are overcrowded and unreliable.
Critical shortages are emerging:
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Food prices have doubled or tripled due to logistical halts.
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Petrol is rationed; gas stations are overwhelmed.
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Power blackouts and disrupted communications further intensify uncertainty.
Diplomatic and Social Pressure
Iran’s central government has responded unevenly, offering silent evacuation guidance and opening schools and mosques sporadically. However, lacking clarity, many Iranians depend on Israeli warnings and social media—sending confusion through the city.
International calls for a ceasefire grow louder, even as retaliatory missile and drone launches between Iran and Israel escalate. Public opinion inside Iran remains divided amid deep uncertainty .
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| The Israeli strikes have prompted a sense of unity among some Iranians. |
Final Thoughts
The current bombardment has devastated Tehran’s civilian infrastructure, plunging millions into fear, uncertainty, and flight. Failure of protective systems and mixed messaging from leadership have compounded the crisis, forcing residents to rely on digital communication and foreign sources for guidance.
In this volatile moment, Tehran's citizens face not just bombs, but a systemic collapse—one that may redefine Iran’s political future and shape the region’s humanitarian horizon.