Gilan, Iran – The prospect of battle appeared to creep nearer to actuality with every passing day, however maybe few of the tens of millions who’ve been compelled to desert their properties throughout Iran up to now week – together with myself – may have recognized this new actuality would impose itself so harshly or abruptly.
The primary explosions jolted individuals awake in Tehran shortly after 3am on June 13, when a lot of Israeli fighter jets and drones attacked dozens of areas throughout the nation, and explosives-laden quadcopters and anti-fortification Spike guided missiles have been launched by Israeli brokers from inside Iran.
Whole residential buildings have been levelled within the capital, army websites and air defence batteries have been focused, and above-ground amenities supporting nuclear enrichment halls buried deep inside mountains in Isfahan province’s Natanz have been bombed. Dozens of civilians have been killed, as have been a lot of high army commanders and nuclear scientists.
On this photograph launched by the Iranian Purple Crescent Society, rescuers work on the scene of an explosion after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, June 13, 2025 (Iranian Purple Crescent Society by way of AP)
Tehran was in shock the primary morning after the assaults, as individuals struggled to course of the terrifying information and consider their choices whereas the authorities scrambled to mount a concerted response to the shock hits.
Because the assaults got here on a Friday morning – the final day of the weekend in Iran – most metropolis streets have been eerily quiet within the rapid aftermath, apart from these the place Israeli bombs had made an impression.
Quickly, nonetheless, hours-long queues had fashioned at nearly each single gas station throughout the sprawling capital, which has a inhabitants of almost 10 million individuals and holds greater than 15 million throughout busy workdays, as tens of millions additionally commute from neighbouring cities like Karaj.
I went out to go to a number of of the focused websites in western Tehran: A number of properties had been destroyed within the Patrice Lumumba neighbourhood, a number of flooring of a 15-storey constructing offering lodging for college professors had caved in at Saadat Abad and adjoining buildings have been broken, whereas the highest two flooring of one other residential constructing had been fully worn out in Marzdaran. All have been profitable focused assassinations – together with of a number of high nuclear scientists – and lots of civilians have been additionally killed.
Particles from an residence constructing is seen on high of parked vehicles after a strike in Tehran, Iran, early on Friday, June 13, 2025 (Vahid Salemi/AP)
Later that evening, Iran’s armed forces started launching tons of of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation. Almost one week on, not less than 16 rounds of Iranian strikes have been launched, with no rapid finish in sight as Tehran says it should proceed to hit again as long as Israel is attacking. In the meantime, United States President Donald Trump teases triggering an all-out regional battle by immediately coming into the battle alongside Israel, which he and Washington’s Western allies already assist with cutting-edge munitions, a large fleet of refuelling planes and intelligence efforts.
For the subsequent few days, the Israeli assaults have been ringing out throughout Tehran and the nation throughout the daytime, terrorising civilians who noticed the smoke and heard the explosions get nearer to their properties or locations of labor. Each at dwelling and at Al Jazeera’s Tehran bureau, I heard many explosive impacts, with a few of the nearer ones solely about 2km (1.2 miles) away.
Most of Tehran was shut down after the Israeli assaults ramped up, and the streets and petrol stations have been extra crowded than ever after Israel and Trump advised individuals to evacuate instantly. The federal government mentioned metro stations and mosques have been opened as 24-hour shelters because it has constructed no devoted shelters or provide you with any clear safety protocols, regardless of the ever-present risk of battle.
Purple Crescent Society rescuers work on the scene of an explosion following an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, June 13, 2025 (Iranian Purple Crescent Society by way of AP)
On Monday, after three days of evaluating the state of affairs, my household and I made a decision to affix the numerous others who had already fled Tehran.
After hurriedly packing some garments and some belongings in a suitcase, I drove from my very own place to my girlfriend’s home to choose her up at about 4pm. Her dad and mom, who work in healthcare, wanted to remain in Tehran that day however they’ve since left as effectively, after Israeli air strikes intensified of their neighbourhood.
We then picked up my mom – together with our 4 cats who’ve been staying together with her – from her dwelling in western Tehran, near a significant street which exits the capital.
Israeli bombs have been falling on a number of areas throughout western Tehran as we scurried to seize the cats and put them of their packing containers.
The unmistakable sounds of the explosions, which depart a sickening, sinking sensation in your abdomen regardless of what number of occasions you hear them, solely added to the urgency – particularly for the reason that Israeli army had issued a brand new evacuation risk at about the identical time after which bombed the state tv headquarters.
Smoke rises from the constructing of Iran’s state-run tv channel after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, June 16, 2025 (AP)
Fleeing north
We left Tehran with heavy hearts, not realizing once we would possibly return. The buildings have been already principally empty of residents.
The sensation that we could not return to the identical intact neighbourhoods was unavoidable, as was the fear we really feel for individuals who wished to depart however couldn’t, whether or not as a result of they’re nursing a sick member of the family or as a result of they merely lacked the means to take action. Iran’s ailing financial system has been dragged underneath the burden of years of native mismanagement and US sanctions.
The journey north, which often takes about 4 hours, took near 12. The highways have been a sea of automobiles full of households, pets and belongings. Roadside diners and repair areas brimmed with individuals who had no concept when or how they could return. Many worriedly adopted information of the most recent air strikes.
Near our vacation spot within the north of Iran, checkpoints arrange by armed and masked safety forces made the visitors even worse. They have been stopping some automobiles, principally pick-up vans, since these are what have been utilized by Israeli brokers to smuggle explosive quadcopters and different weapons inside Iran.
I’m scripting this from a small however vibrant metropolis within the province of Gilan in northern Iran. The northern provinces, additionally together with Mazandaran and Golestan, are the place most Iranians have opted to go. They’re comparatively near Tehran, have far fewer locations that might be potential targets for the Israeli military, and have been already common journey locations with a lot of inns that many have visited earlier than.
Many right here have opened their properties to individuals displaced from different provinces, too. Six million individuals have entered Mazandaran alone since final week, in keeping with Iran’s deputy police chief, Qasem Rezaei.
The authorities try to reassure the inhabitants, particularly Iranians who’ve fled to the northern provinces, that the federal government faces no issues in offering for his or her fundamental wants, particularly meals and gas.
The aftermath of an Israeli strike on Iran’s State TV broadcaster constructing in Tehran, Iran, seen on June 19, 2025 (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia Information Company) by way of Reuters)
However within the meantime, 90 million Iranians have been thrown right into a state of uncertainty, frustration and anger whereas making an attempt to take care of hope for a semblance of regular life when the nation will not be continuously underneath risk of army motion or remoted from the worldwide neighborhood.
For bizarre civilians, the state of affairs is significantly compounded by the truth that they’ve been fully lower off from the web for days, with web observatory NetBlocks confirming on Friday that 97 % of the nation’s connectivity was down. Barring a handful of small each day updates gleaned from state media or native sources, Iranians have little concept concerning the extent of the Israeli army strikes throughout the nation.
The Iranian authorities started imposing web restrictions from the primary day of the Israeli strikes, however elevated them as Israel expanded its offensive and a pro-Israeli hacking group additionally launched cyberattacks.
A number of of the nation’s high banks have been taken offline on account of the cyberattacks, in addition to Iran’s high cryptocurrency alternate, Nobitex, which mentioned its “sizzling pockets” had been compromised however promised it will return any misplaced cash.
Iranian officers, who additionally took the nation offline throughout the lethal nationwide protests in November 2019, claimed disconnecting the web was essential to fend off Israeli quadcopters and different projectiles, however gave no timeline as to once they would restore full connectivity.
Iran already has one of the closed-off and slowed-down web connections on the planet, as nearly all main international messaging apps and different providers, together with tens of hundreds of internet sites, are blocked and solely accessible by workarounds reminiscent of digital personal networks (VPNs).
In case you are studying this now, it means I managed to discover a barely functioning connection to ship this out.
