As Israel and Iran exchange blows for the sixth consecutive day, large parts of the Iranian capital have fallen into an eerie silence, DPA reports, quoted by BTA.
Tehran, which is usually bustling with life, now resembles a ghost town, gripped by tension, fear and uncertainty, which increased even more after US President Donald Trump called on the city's residents to flee to safety.
The conflict began on Friday when Israel launched attacks on Iran's nuclear and military facilities. Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes.
Many of those fleeing the Tehran area are heading north toward the Caspian Sea, smaller towns in the province or Iran's border.
The once bustling streets are now quiet. Some supermarkets are still open, but their shelves are almost empty. Power and water outages have been reported, restaurants are closed, and air conditioning in many areas is not working despite scorching temperatures of more than 35 degrees Celsius.
Not everyone has left, though. Some have stayed because they couldn't or didn't want to flee.
"Most of the apartments are empty," says Ramin, 34, a shopkeeper. He sent his parents to the province but chose to stay. "I stayed to take care of the house," he said.
"I feel strange, neither happy nor sad. I'm not happy with the regime, but I don't want war," Ramin added.
Mohammed-Reza, 27, a supermarket worker, continues to go to work despite the airstrikes.
"I hear explosions all the time, but we have to keep working," he said. "To be honest, business has actually picked up," he added with a smile. "Before, no one wanted yesterday's bread, and now we're even selling frozen bread," he said.
There is growing speculation about whether the United States will become directly involved in the conflict, DPA noted. Trump's address, in which he called on the people of Tehran to "immediately" to leave the city has sparked horror and outrage on social media.
It is not yet clear how many people have already left the capital, but the unusually blue sky above the city's typical smog suggests a significant outflow.
Earlier today, two loud explosions were heard in northern Tehran, AFP correspondents reported.
There is currently no information on the exact location of the two explosions. Yesterday, Israeli troops struck the headquarters of state television, causing significant damage and killing at least three people, the television said.