Fleeing airstrikes, Iranians seek relief in neighboring countries

Following days of airstrikes and growing fears of a broader conflict, many Iranians are heading toward the borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, hoping to wait out the uncertainty back home.

Among them was Andranik Harutyunyan, an 84-year-old Iranian Armenian from Isfahan, who crossed into Armenia via the Meghri checkpoint. “Areas near government buildings were being bombed. But cities themselves remained calm,” he said, adding that most ethnic Armenians in Iran prefer to stay.

Azerbaijan’s land borders have remained closed since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials opened the southern border checkpoint with Iran in response to the ongoing conflict, allowing those with special permission from the authorities to cross.