[Source/Observer Network, Chen Sijia] "Iranians are considering fleeing Tehran." On June 16, The New York Times published an article stating that as Israel and Iran continued to clash, the infrastructure of Tehran, the capital of Iran, was damaged, fuel shortages occurred, and many Iranians decided to leave this city. Local residents said that due to the large number of vehicles fleeing, the gas stations in Tehran had long queues, and all roads were congested.

However, Qiu Queshu, a Chinese who has settled in Tehran, told the Observer Network on the 17th that overall, Tehran is still operating stably. Although reports about people fleeing Tehran have appeared in the news, at present, only a few people have actually left. Currently, the supply of water, electricity, and food in Tehran remains sufficient, and gasoline is the only rationed item. Therefore, even if many people want to leave, it is not very feasible; more people with conditions will choose to go to the suburbs of Tehran to avoid the situation.

The New York Times reported that since Israel's large-scale air strikes on Iran on the 13th, "chaos and fear" have been hovering over Iran. According to statistics from the Iranian Health Department, Israel's attacks caused more than 200 deaths and over 1,400 injuries among Iranians. In retaliation, Iran's actions resulted in at least 24 deaths and approximately 600 injuries in Israel.

On June 16, the Israeli military announced on social media that they planned to strike "military infrastructure" in northeastern Tehran, urging residents in the area to evacuate immediately. However, due to internet outages in some areas of Tehran, many Iranians did not see Israel's warning.

On June 15, local time, a large number of cars lined up to leave Tehran. Agence France-Presse.

Six residents of Tehran told The New York Times that there was a shortage of fuel locally, many gas stations were closed, and those still open limited each vehicle to 10 liters of gasoline. Internet and phone services were also interrupted in many places. These residents said that they and their neighbors were "racing" to flee Tehran, hastily setting off with just some essentials.

Daniel Amin, a resident of the Zafar (Zafar) community in Tehran, said, "Where should I go? Where can I go? How can half a million people go somewhere in such a short period of time? Highways are completely blocked, and we are trapped."

Videos and photos circulating on social media show long lines of cars on a highway in northeastern Tehran. Shadi, a resident of the Dibaji community, revealed that she and her parents had already left their residence and sought refuge with relatives living elsewhere in the city. However, she worries that Israel may expand its attack range, so she hopes her family can leave Tehran.

Shadi said, "All roads are extremely crowded, and we cannot get through. Gas stations are lined up with vehicles, and it is almost impossible to get gas."

Meisam, a 41-year-old Iranian writer, said he had driven away from his home on the evening of the 15th, planning to head to his hometown in East Azerbaijan Province in northwestern Iran. However, there were too many people driving away from Tehran; even at 2 a.m., he could not avoid queuing at gas stations. "Everything is filled with uncertainty," he said.

Meisam told The New York Times that leaving Tehran was not easy. His relatives witnessed missile attacks while driving on another highway. He said it was unclear how things were in his hometown, where supermarkets were already overwhelmed due to the influx of displaced people, "If this continues, shortages seem inevitable."

BBC reported that many Tehran residents tried to head to remote areas to escape Israel's air raids, but road congestion and fuel shortages prevented many from leaving. One resident said, "We didn't receive any warnings about Israel's attacks from officials. We only heard explosions, hoping the place we are in won't be hit. But where can we go? There is no place that feels safe."

Another Iranian who has left Tehran said, "I feel like I haven't fully accepted that I live in an active war zone. I'm not sure when I will be able to accept it."

However, BBC mentioned that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called on Iranians on the 14th to "unite against the Iranian government," but so far, very few Iranians have responded to his words. The report stated that the destruction in Tehran and other places shocked many Iranians; since the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, many Iranians have never seen such scenes before.

Regarding the current situation in Tehran, Qiu Queshu, a cultural relic worker settled in Tehran, told the Observer Network that overall, Tehran is still operating normally. Although images of long lines fleeing Tehran appear in the news, given that Tehran is a megacity with millions of people, the number of people who have actually fled is still small.

He pointed out that in recent years, with the development of internet platforms, a large number of border town populations have moved to Tehran to work as ride-hailing drivers or food delivery personnel. Therefore, it is natural for them to leave after the conflict broke out.

Qiu Queshu said that currently, the supply of water, electricity, and food in Tehran remains sufficient, and gasoline is the only rationed item, with each car receiving ten liters per day. Therefore, even if many people want to leave, it is not very feasible; more people with conditions will choose to go to the suburbs of Tehran to avoid the situation.

Israel and Iran have carried out multiple rounds of mutual attacks. The Israeli government threatened Iran, saying that if Iran continued to launch missiles at Israel, "Tehran would turn into a sea of fire." Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz warned on social media on the 16th that the residents of Tehran would "pay the price" for Iran's attacks on Israeli civilians.

US President Trump also took the opportunity to pressure Iran, demanding that Iran reach a nuclear agreement with the US. On the 16th, Trump posted on social media: "Iran should sign the 'agreement' I asked them to sign. It's a pity, wasting lives. Simply put, Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. I've said it again and again! Everyone should immediately evacuate from Tehran!"

In the evening of June 16, the Israeli military launched a fierce air raid on Tehran, bombing the Iranian National Television building in Tehran, causing the live broadcast to be interrupted. Iranian media reported that at least one staff member died.

On June 16, the Iranian National Television building was attacked. Visual China.

However, Israel's air strikes have sparked anger among many Iranians, even among some Iranian opposition groups. Mehrangiz Kar, an Iranian opposition lawyer residing in Washington, D.C., told The Atlantic in an interview that when she saw Israel's attacks on Iran, she felt like seeing her own home being burned down. "They targeted my homeland, and regardless of who launches the attack, this is unacceptable."

Kar revealed that she had already communicated with some opposition figures inside Iran, "People are angry, they oppose the Iranian government, but now they may hate Netanyahu and his military policies even more."

According to reports from the Islamic Republic News Agency of Iran, Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi responded on June 17 to Israel's air strikes, saying, "Israel once believed that assassinating Iranian commanders or attacking key facilities would weaken Iran to the point of surrendering. They don't understand the Iranian people... Iran's enemies should know that they cannot achieve their goals through coercion."

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Baghaei of Iran said on the 17th that Israel's attacks on Iran violated international law, and Iran called on the international community to condemn Israel's aggressive behavior and hold Israel accountable.

In addition, foreign ministers of 21 Arab and Islamic countries including Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Pakistan, Bahrain, Turkey, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait issued a joint statement on June 16 condemning Israel's attacks on Iran, which exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.

The statement said that Israel's attacks on Iran violated international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. The statement expressed deep concern about this dangerous escalation, as it could have a serious impact on the security and stability of the entire region, calling for "respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, adhering to friendly neighborly principles, and resolving disputes through peaceful means."

This article is an exclusive article by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7516858556022145572/

Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. You can express your attitude by clicking the "Agree/Disagree" button below.