‘Every night they are bombarding’: at border crossing, some Iranians are fleeing war and some are heading home | Iran

HI couldn’t help but laugh at this question. Emir, whose name has been changed for security reasons, had just crossed the Kapıköy border point, a mountain pass between snow-capped peaks in eastern Türkiye, one of Iran’s few gateways to the west.

Until a few weeks ago this was a lively place; It was popular with Iranian day-trippers who came to Türkiye to shop in the lively city of Van, drive another two hours west, or spend a few nights in modest Iranian nightclubs and bars serving alcohol.

There were many reasons for an Iranian to make this trip at that time. But today, right behind the Emir, was the lifeless black flag raised by the Iranian regime after the killing of religious leader Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks a month ago.

“Why? Amir smiled when asked about his motivation for leaving Iran. “Boom,” he replied. “Because of the war. “They bomb every night.”

It cannot be said that Amir, who came from Tehran, was angry with the campaigns of America and Israel. “We want to get rid of the regime,” he said. “Thank you Trump,” he added, shaking his head wearily.

Amir, a 33-year-old foreign currency and cryptocurrency trader by profession, no longer had the means to earn a living in Tehran. “If there is no internet, there is no work,” Amir said about the internet blackout imposed by the Iranian regime last month. “I hope [the bombing] it works. Bombs every night. Nearby cities, industrial areas and military bases were completely destroyed.”

A pharmacologist from Tehran was traveling to Europe to see his three adult daughters and planned to spend three months there. “All people live with anxiety,” he said. “I don’t like Trump, but this time it’s right for the Iranian people. We are so tired of the revolution. [the] Islamic Republic of Iran. Most people love Trump because he can change the regime. “We are very tired.”

Kapıköy, which means “kapı village”, did not witness a large number of people fleeing Iran. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), between March 3 and 30, close to 64,000 Iranians arrived in Türkiye and more than 48,000 Iranian citizens returned to the Islamic Republic.

“Current movement volumes remain well below pre-conflict levels, with crossings from both sides averaging 5,000 people per day,” a UNHCR spokesperson said.

Türkiye has plans to manage mobility from the border in case of an influx, create a buffer zone and establish tent cities for up to 90,000 people. Although there are four army and security agency checkpoints for those going from the border to Van, these have not been needed yet. Heavily armed soldiers in khaki were seen patrolling the roadside.

Salvador Gutiérrez, chief of mission of the International Organization for Migration in Iran, said in a video call from Tehran that people are moving within Iran, largely towards the northern provinces close to the Caspian Sea.

He said people have been returning to Tehran and other cities in recent days. Partly state-owned companies at the center of Iran’s economy appear to have begun ordering people to return to work.

“A lot of people have savings or some support from their families, so I would say they are waiting to see what the outcome of this situation will be,” Gutiérrez said.

Trump has talked about sending Iran “back to the stone age” and vowed in a speech Wednesday night to hit Iran “extremely hard” in the next two to three weeks.

Gutiérrez said: “We have seen some disruptions in the supply of electricity, water and, in some cases, fuel. If people start to have real difficulties with regular access to services, this could trigger progress.”

The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 82,000 residences were hit and 180,000 people were affected in US and Israeli attacks; However, many people at the Kapıköy border point said that despite all the dangers of war to civilians, this was the economic blow that was felt the heaviest, as well as the long-standing sanctions.

Mohammed, 42, who runs a travel business, was heading to Oman. “I had to close the offices completely,” he said. “I told my employees to go and rest for at least two months, I don’t know what will happen after that. I’m sure I won’t be able to do anything for a year.

“Our house is near the airport. You hear big noises every night. We’ve been through bombings more than a hundred times. I hear big noises every night and then boom, boom. The first three days were very difficult, but after four, five days it feels normal… I’m not sure about the future, but I’m sure of this: War is not good.”

A 39-year-old woman who went to Istanbul from her home in the east of Tehran said that she, too, was shaken by the bombs that fell at night, even though only military targets were seen being hit near her. “People live and go shopping during the day, but at night we’re a little scared,” he said. “I hope there will be a change [the] Regime. There has been no internet for more than a month. The year is 2026; without internet!”

It cannot be said that the feelings of those who pass through Kapıköy, mostly facing west, mostly well-educated and with money in their pockets, are not very realistic in Iran.

Selma Ghaemzadeh, 24, said the city of Maragheh in northeastern Iran was recently attacked, but she was proud to live in “a strong country, not a weak country.” She was going to Van for a few days shopping with her parents and 15-year-old brother, but she could not imagine a permanent move. “It’s not safe, but Iran is my country and it’s safe for me,” he said.

Many people were too scared to speak. In the past, high-profile dissidents hiding in Van were captured and sent back to Tehran. A woman in a designer outfit suddenly started talking and stopped when a man told her to remain silent. “They are from Iran International,” he said, referring to the UK-based Persian-language TV channel that has been designated a terrorist actor by the Iranian regime.

There was a similar silence when the Iran Raja Railway Transport Company’s 24-hour sleeper train departing from Tehran approached the Van train station in the afternoon with 12 cars full of passengers. “It’s not safe to talk here,” one man said.

Others who came ashore in the rain were less fearful. Soha, 29, a computer programmer, was heading to Bangkok. He was out of work due to an internet outage, but the bombs that fell a kilometer away from where he lived pushed him to take the train. “Security was my biggest problem; a bomb fell next to my house,” he said.

“There are no sirens or shelters. People get injured when they go to the windows to watch the bombs fall,” said Arash, 56, from Kiraj.

Moji, 75, and his wife Sholeh, 73, said the east and west of Tehran were particularly badly affected. They went to the USA to stay with their son for six months. Retired accountant Moji said he knew many people were injured in the attacks. “People are hoping this will lead to big changes,” he said. Did he have hope? “Not much.”

It is perhaps a strange fact that on some days, more people return to Iran via Turkey than those who leave, often to be closer to relatives in danger. Iran men’s national football team passed through Kapıköy on Wednesday after winning 5-0 in a friendly match against Costa Rica in Antalya.

Other returnees at the crossing included a couple who said they were doctors living in Canada. The husband threw his bags out of the car onto the dusty road and did not want to talk. In vain he advised his wife to follow his advice.

“I want to say something, I want to say something,” the woman insisted, taking a step forward, balancing her bag on the suitcase. He was in his 40s, stylishly dressed, with a white scarf around his neck.

“This war affects everyone,” he said with intent. “My mother passed away from stress and a heart attack. She was 65 years old. She had no problems. This war directly affects everyone, like my mother.”

He said he would stay in Tehran as long as his father needed him. “Thank you,” he added. “I just wanted to tell my story.”