Thousands of residents of the Iranian capital Tehran are fleeing their homes and stockpiling essential supplies for fear that Israel's airstrike campaign against longtime foe Iran will escalate in the coming days, APA reports citing Reuters.
The Israeli military has warned Iranian civilians in a series of messages to leave some areas for their own safety, raising the prospect of a widening barrage of aerial attacks.
Iranian authorities have rejected the messages as "psychological warfare" and urged the population not to panic, although state television has aired footage of traffic jams on roads leading out of the capital.
"We have nowhere to go. Where should we go? How long should we stay away from our homes?" 38-year-old Shahriyar, said by phone from Tehran, a city of over 10 million people.
Art teacher Arshia, 29, told Reuters that his family was leaving for the town of Damavand, around 50 km (30 miles) east of Tehran, until the conflict was over.
"My parents are scared. Every night there are attacks, no air raid sirens, and no shelters to go to. Why are we paying the price for the Islamic Republic's hostile policies?" said Arshia, who withheld his surname for fear of reprisal from authorities.
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