Iranians head to Armenia to escape from conflict with Israel

It’s hot, dusty, and feels like a desert at the Agarak Border Point between Armenia and Iran.

There are dry, rocky mountains surrounding the area – no trees, no shade. This is not the most welcoming terrain, especially for those who have traveled for long hours to reach Armenia.

A woman with a fashionable hairstyle, with the lower half of her head, holds her baby while her husband negotiates a price with taxi drivers. There is another family with a little boy traveling back to their country in residence, Austria.

Most of those who go to Armenia seem to have had residence or citizenship in other countries. Many were leaving because of the conflict between Israel and Iran, now on his eighth day.

“Today I saw a site where the bombing happened,” said a father, standing with a small child near the minivan, who just rented. They had traveled from the northwestern city of Tabriz.

“All people are scared, every place is dangerous, not normal,” he added.

The conflict began on June 13, when Israel attacked nuclear and military sites, as well as some populated areas.

The Human Rights News Agency (Hrana) – a Washington -based human rights organization that has long traced Iran – says 657 people have been killed so far. Iran revenge on rocket attacks against Israel, killing at least 24 people.

Israel says he has established air superiority over Tehran and told people to leave some of their areas. In recent days, heavy congestion has been formed on roads outside the city, as some of its 10 million inhabitants seek safety elsewhere.

Those who drove to Armenia from Tehran said the trip took at least 12 hours. A few told us that they did not see the Israeli strikes – but they heard the sound of the explosions they caused.

“It was anxious there. Every night, attacks from Israel. I just escaped from there in a very difficult way. There were no flights, no other ways come from there,” said a young Afghan man with any suitcase who did not want to be baptized.

He described the situation in Tehran as “very bad”.

“People who have a place to go, they leave. Every night it is like an attack, people cannot sleep because of the sounds of explosion, the situation is not good at all,” he said.

A young woman with a white headscarf and thick fake eyelashes said she was heading back to her country of residence, Australia.

“I saw something that is very difficult. I don’t want to talk about it,” she said as she got on a car with a few others about the journey of the advanced to the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

“Someone is coming and attacking your country, would you feel normal?”

Some Israeli ministers have talked about the possibility of the conflict leading to the collapse of the regime in Iran.

But Javad – who had visited the northeastern city of Sabzevar for summer vacations and headed back to Germany – said he thought it was unlikely.

“Israel has no chance. Israel is not a friend for us, it’s an enemy,” he said. “Israel cannot come to our home to help us. Israel must change something for yourself, not for us.”

However, some Iranians at the border were moving in the other direction. Last night, Ali Ansaye, who was resting in Armenia with his family, headed back to Tehran.

“I have no worries and I’m not scared at all. If I have to die, I’ll die in my country,” he said.

He said Israel “harassed the whole world – Gaza, Lebanon and other countries.”

“How can such a small country have nuclear weapons?” he asked. “Based on which law can have a bomb, and Iran, which focuses only on peaceful nuclear energy, not a bomb, can’t?”

Israel is believed to have nuclear weapons, although it neither confirms nor denies it.