As a result of the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran, the residents of Tehran are leaving the Iranian capital en masse. Eyewitnesses report huge traffic jams on the exit roads from the city. Kilometer-long queues are forming at gas stations. The streets in the 15 million-strong Iranian metropolis are deserted and unusually quiet, the DPA agency reported.
DPA recalled that Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz warned on Monday in a status on the social network X, in response to Iranian attacks that killed civilians in Israel, that"the people of Tehran will pay for this, and soon."
Many Tehranis are fleeing to the east of Iran, which is considered relatively safe for now, fearing retaliation. The west of Iran, where there are several military facilities near the border, has felt the full force of the Israeli air force since Friday, which continues to intensively bomb the area.
The areas in the north of the country near the Caspian Sea, which are usually popular with holidaymakers, are also a refuge for many Iranians. According to DPA, one of the displaced people said that the journey from Tehran to the city of Rasht near the sea coast took him more than a whole day instead of the usual four hours due to congested roads.
Tehran sees a mass exodus as residents flee the capital.
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 15, 2025
He added that the supply situation in Rasht is no different from that in Tehran – shops are full of people, but food is in short supply. Accommodation prices have also risen sharply.
Tehran Exits - Heavy Traffic and Widespread Evacuation of People Following Israeli Army Warning to Stay Away from Sensitive Areas
Monday, June 16, 2021> pic.twitter.com/SRlopR1oW5— Alex Kennedy (@AlexkennedyIran) June 16, 2025
Khamenei is in hiding, Moscow offers help
Another family heading to Turkey said they had to borrow 5,000 euros to travel to safety. Citing exile news portal Iran International, the Israeli website i24 reported that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei took refuge in an underground bunker in northern Tehran after the Israeli strikes began on Friday, June 13. He is reportedly in the bunker with his family.
As part of the escalation of the conflict, the Israeli military also targeted the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, which is located approximately 2,300 kilometers from Israeli territory."This is a clear message to the Iranian leader that he is not safe anywhere in the country," said an unnamed diplomatic source.
He also added that while Israel has the capacity to eliminate Khamenei, it has decided to give him"one last chance" to end Iran's uranium enrichment program, a demand that US President Donald Trump has made in the past without success.
An unnamed Israeli official confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that Khamenei remains a potential target in the Israeli airstrikes, which have reportedly killed nine key nuclear scientists and several senior generals.
The satellite news station Iran International has reportedly obtained information that Khamenei's close associates are negotiating with Russian officials to create conditions for the ayatollah and his family to leave Iran if the situation worsens. They have reportedly received a promise from Moscow that in the event of an escalation, it will help Khamenei and his family escape through a safe corridor.
Other high-ranking Iranian regime officials are reportedly preparing their own escape routes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said in a video address on Saturday that Iranian officials were"packing their bags."
