Middle East & Africa | Inside the Islamic Republic

Will the Iran war trigger a refugee crisis?

People are fleeing the big cities. The borders are quiet—for now

Heavy traffic builds up as vehicles attempt to leave Tehran following Israeli airstrikes, on June 15, 2025 in Tehran, Iran
Photograph: Getty Images

Since Israel’s strikes began Tehran has been gripped by fear. So far at least 585 Iranians have been killed, according to Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based group. But Israel says it will conduct at least a week more of aerial attacks. The war could yet become a full-scale regional conflagration. It is possible that Iran’s clerical regime will fall, too. In the meantime basic services are collapsing. Cyberattacks have put banks out of action. Most shops are shuttered. And nurses are leaving hospitals just as they are preparing to deal with a rush of injuries.

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