Caucasus correspondent
It is sizzling, dusty and looks like a desert on the Agarak border crossing between Armenia and Iran.
There are dry, rocky mountains surrounding the world – no timber, no shade. It is not essentially the most welcoming terrain, particularly for individuals who have travelled lengthy hours to succeed in Armenia.
A lady with a modern haircut, with the decrease half of her head shaven, is holding her child, whereas her husband negotiates a worth with taxi drivers. There’s one other household of three with a bit boy travelling again to their nation of residence, Austria.
Most of these crossing into Armenia appeared to have residency or citizenship in different international locations. Many had been leaving due to the battle between Israel and Iran, now in its eighth day.
“In the present day I noticed one website the place the bombing occurred,” mentioned a father standing with a small youngster close to the minivan that they simply employed. They’d travelled from the north-western city of Tabriz.
“All of the persons are scared, each place is harmful, it is not regular,” he added.
The battle started on 13 June, when Israel attacked nuclear and navy websites in addition to some populated areas.
The Human Rights Activists Information Company (HRANA) – a Washington-based human rights organisation that has lengthy tracked Iran – says 657 individuals have to date been killed. Iran has retaliated with missile assaults on Israel, killing at the very least 24 individuals.
Israel says it has established air superiority over Tehran and has advised individuals to depart a few of its districts. In current days, heavy visitors jams have fashioned on roads out of the town as a few of its 10 million residents search security elsewhere.
Those that drove to Armenia from Tehran mentioned the journey had taken at the very least 12 hours. A number of advised us that they didn’t see the Israeli strikes – however heard the sound of explosions they brought on.
“It was troubling there. Each evening, assaults from Israel. I simply escaped from there by very exhausting method. There have been no flights, not some other methods come from there,” mentioned a younger Afghan man with a single suitcase, who didn’t need to be named.
He described the state of affairs in Tehran as “very dangerous”.
“Individuals who have someplace to go, they’re leaving. Each evening is like attacking, individuals can not sleep, due to the sounds of explosions, the state of affairs just isn’t good in any respect,” he mentioned.
A younger girl with white headband and thick pretend lashes mentioned she was heading again to her nation of residence, Australia.
“I noticed one thing that could be very exhausting, I do not need to discuss it,” she mentioned as she boarded a automotive with a number of others for the onward journey to the Armenian capital Yerevan.
“Somebody comes and assaults your nation, would you’re feeling regular?”
Some Israeli ministers have talked up the chance that the battle might result in regime collapse in Iran.
However Javad – who had been visiting the north-eastern metropolis of Sabzevar for the summer season holidays and was heading again to Germany – mentioned he thought this was unlikely.
“Israel has no likelihood. Israel just isn’t a pal for us, it is an enemy,” he mentioned. “Israel can not come to our residence to assist us. Israel wants to alter one thing for itself not for us.”
Some Iranians on the border nonetheless had been crossing had been travelling within the different course. The earlier night, Ali Ansaye, who had been holidaying in Armenia along with his household, was heading again to Tehran.
“I’ve no issues, and I’m not scared in any respect. If I’m alleged to die, I’ll die in my nation,” he mentioned.
He mentioned Israel was “harassing the complete world – Gaza, Lebanon and different international locations”.
“How can such a small nation have nuclear weapons?” he requested. “Primarily based on which legislation can this nation have a bomb, and Iran, which has solely centered on peaceable nuclear vitality and never a bomb, can not?”
Israel is broadly believed to have nuclear weapons, though it neither confirms nor denies this.
