In Iran’s capital Tehran and across the country, an atmosphere of fear and anxiety has persisted for nearly a week.

Following repeated warnings of an Israeli attack, people have begun fleeing major cities for safer areas. Roads leading to regions near the Caspian Sea are witnessing heavy traffic.

On Monday, the Israeli army issued a stern warning asking Tehran residents to evacuate immediately. An Israeli post stated that military action would again target Tehran’s military installations within the next few hours.

A resident of Saadat Abad in northern Tehran told the media that explosions were heard all night. Some blasts were so powerful that entire buildings shook. Smoke filled several homes, and families gathered in basements to comfort their children.

Tehran is not well-prepared for an aerial assault. While Israeli cities have modern bomb shelters, most residents of Tehran still rely on old-fashioned living arrangements. They depend on basements, tunnels, or metro stations built during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

No modern bomb shelters have ever been built in Tehran. People take refuge in basements. The metro system can be used only in extreme emergency situations.