A Desperate Journey: Leaving Tehran Amidst Bombing

Strategic Insights -

As the sound of loud bangs filled the air and buildings burned in the distance, I knew I had to get out of Tehran. I had been visiting my parents in the city for three days, but the escalating violence forced me to make a desperate decision. With a 1,150km journey ahead of me, I joined a group of family and friends who were also fleeing the city, bound for Yerevan, Armenia.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 1,150km journey from Tehran to Yerevan took 31 hours, with the group driving straight through without an overnight stop.
  • The group encountered several challenges, including limited border crossings, long queues, and occasional closures of the Turkish border.
  • Reports of Israeli bombing led to a sense of panic, but the group's drivers and fellow travelers seemed relatively calm and prepared for the journey.
  • The group had to make several fuel stops, but the bus had a full tank and did not refuel during the 800km drive to the Armenian border.
  • Google maps estimated the journey to take 17 hours, but the group took five hours to reach the first big city, Qazvin, due to heavy traffic on the motorway.

Statistics:

  • Distance from Tehran to Yerevan: 1,150km
  • Duration of the journey: 31 hours
  • Number of fuel stops: 3
  • Distance from the Iranian border to the Armenian border: 1km
  • Number of people in the group: 15-20
  • Time spent stuck at the motorway service station: 2-3 hours
  • Time spent waiting at the border: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Sources:

  • "A Desperate Journey: Leaving Tehran Amidst Bombing" by the author (pen name: ROSTAM)
  • "Assertion of [Narrative's] Daily Routine" under ("Part Aber jay "(Ind)AsStringAsync)