‘Terrified’ Iranians try fleeing Israeli attacks, cause massive jams on Tehran highway | Watch
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Rescuers work at the site of a building damaged in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: (Reuters)
A user on X posted a video of traffic on a highway leading out of Tehran, saying, “Thousands of vehicles have left Tehran. People are mostly fleeing to areas close to the Turkish border. If the attacks continue, millions of Iranians are expected to seek asylum in Türkiye.”
Many Iranian citizens are in panic as Israeli forces have struck their intended targets in the Islamic Republic at will and with precision, instilling fear and anxiety in the citizens who are desperate to flee capital Tehran to safety.
As Israel continues to unleash its announced strikes and hit the state TV headquarters as promised earlier, many Iranians are fleeing major cities and causing traffic jams on roads leading north toward the Caspian Sea.
On Monday, the Israeli military issued a chilling warning, urging residents of Tehran to evacuate “immediately”.
“In the coming hours, the Israeli military will operate in the area, as it has in recent days throughout Tehran, to strike military infrastructure of the Iranian regime,” the post read.
A user on X posted a video of traffic on a highway leading out of Tehran, saying, “Thousands of vehicles have left Tehran. People are mostly fleeing to areas close to the Turkish border. If the attacks continue, millions of Iranians are expected to seek asylum in Türkiye.”
A group of citizens of Saadat Abad, an affluent neighbourhood in north Tehran that was reportedly struck in recent days, described the night that rocked the area and said there was chaos as families rushed to the ground floors, struggling to calm their frightened children.
Iran’s capital is not prepared for aerial conflict, unlike Israeli cities that have bomb shelters.
However, daily life continues despite the looming threat. But long queues for fuel are now common, with a cap of 25 litres per customer.
Images and videos shared on social media show rows of cars loaded with families and supplies heading toward rural areas.
Another user posted a daytime video of traffic crawling on the highway and said, “Trump just said that the US involvement in Iran-Israel conflict is possible as people flee Tehran. I thought he promised no new conflicts.”
The continuing Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, including nuclear facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, have heightened international concerns as well.