Many Iranians are desperately trying to escape the Israeli attacks. Many of them are staying in Iran for now, seeking refuge in the north of the country, but apparently places are running out there. Some are heading to Turkey.
At the Gurbulak border crossing in Turkey, small groups of people are arriving: women, men, children of all ages. At first glance, they look like tourists - many of them are carrying suitcases or backpacks, they look confused. On the Turkish side of the border, drivers of small buses are waiting. They ask them where they are going.
One of the drivers speaks a little Farsi and understands what is being said to him. "We are taking these Iranians by bus to Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Trabzon or Rize. When we ask them why so many people are coming to Turkey, they explain to us that there is a war in their country and they cannot use their plane tickets," the driver tells ARD. Flights from Iran have been suspended for the time being, so the only way to get to Turkey is by bus.
"Iran is my homeland"
In peacetime, Iranians also pass through this border crossing - when they go on vacation. But now it feels different. An elderly man sitting on one of the buses with his wife said that he was in Iran visiting relatives. He lives in the United States. However, during his vacation, the rocket attacks began. The man tells ARD that two days ago a building near theirs was attacked. "It was terrible. The whole family panicked," he says.
Another woman says that she comes from Tabriz in northern Iran. There are currently no problems there, she tells the German public broadcaster. But people are afraid that this will not last long. However, she plans to return home soon - she is only traveling to Turkey for an event. "Iran is my homeland," the Iranian woman, who declined to give her name, is adamant. Most people at the border crossing do not want to talk to journalists at all. They say they are worried that their families could be targeted by Iranian security forces.
Many flee to northern Iran
For now, few people are heading to Turkey. Most Iranians are fleeing the capital Tehran, but a large percentage are heading to the Caspian Sea. The rural region in northern Iran is a popular holiday destination, ARD explains. However, the vacancies there are gradually running out, although the provincial governor of Mazandaran province announced that shelter for ten million people could be found in an emergency.
People say they have to wait in long lines in front of bakeries. 55-year-old Mandana has moved to the Iranian province of Gilan, where food is gradually running out. The woman tells ARD that she wonders whether it is right to stock up on food for herself and her family or whether it is better to avoid shopping in large quantities so as not to contribute to the shortage.
There is no internet
In Tehran, some shops and markets are closed, and prices are rising. In other parts of the country, life is supposedly continuing generally normally. There, Iranians do not report shortages of products and not many have left their homes. But is this really the case? It is not entirely clear what exactly is happening in these places. Because fewer and fewer messages from Iranians are reaching people outside the country.
The authorities in Tehran severely restricted access to the Internet at the beginning of the conflict, and now it is practically completely shut down, writes ARD. All websites and mobile applications hosted outside the country are inaccessible. This includes messaging applications, which are particularly important for many people. Evacuating, organizing a place for temporary stay or contacting loved ones - this is becoming increasingly difficult for people in Iran.