Israel's attack on Iran: What you need to know about Tehran
Millions of residents have left Tehran as Israel continues to attack Iran. Main roads have been clogged with traffic as people try to flee the metropolis.
At petrol stations, residents have waited in line for hours to fill their vehicles. Shops, banks and businesses have shut.
The authorities have blacked out the internet. Apartment blocks have been left largely empty.
And throughout, there is the continued threat of further Israeli bombardments.
To date, these have killed at least 639 people and injured 1,329 others, according to the US-based group Human Rights Activists in Iran.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Iranian authorities have not updated figures since earlier this week, when they put fatalities at 224 people.
Where in Iran is Tehran?
Tehran is located in northern Iran, which has a population of 90 million people and an area larger than that of the UK, France, Germany, and Spain combined.
Although there is evidence of settlement in the area for more than 6,000 years, Tehran did not officially became Iran's capital until 1906 following the Constitutional Revolution.
To the north and east are the peaks of the Alborz mountains, which overlook the Caspian Sea.
Mount Damavand, Iran's highest point at 5,600m, can be seen from the capital.
To the south it is mostly arid plains and desert, including the salt basin Namak Lake and, much further to the east, Dasht-e Kavir, known as the Great Salt Desert.
The very north of Tehran is at an elevation of 1,700m, while the southern tip is only 1,100m above sea level, meaning temperatures can vary by several degrees Celsius.
Iran is prone to earthquakes, although Tehran has not suffered major causalties compared to the rest of the country in recent years.
Around 30km to the west of Tehran is Karaj, the fourth largest city in Iran, which is linked to the capital by the Tehran–Karaj Highway.
This week the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Israel had attacked nuclear centrifuge production facilities on the outskirts of Karaj.
The city of Qom, home to one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, is 120km south of Tehran. During the current war, the road between the two cities has been attacked by Israel.
Many residents of Tehran, including non-Iranians, have fled the capital for the cities of Amol, Babol and Sari, 200km across the mountains and close to the Caspian Sea.
How big is Tehran?
The capital of Iran may be visited by foreigners less frequently than other major cities in the Middle East and North Africa, it is still a major metropolis.
Only Cairo and Istanbul are comparable in size, with metropolitan populations of 23 million people and 16 million respectively.
Tehran has a population estimated at 9.5 million people. This increases to 16.8 million when the wider metropolitan area is included.
It has an area of more than 700 km2, and has a size and population density similar to New York City.
The city dominates life in Iran, and is the economic, political, administrative, commercial, financial and cultural centre of the country.
But this key role has made it a target for Israeli attacks since 13 June this year.
Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation and the Tehran Research Reactor are located just north of Amirabad district and within residential areas.
Central neighbourhoods hit include Kamranieh, as well as Lavizan in the north-east, and nearby Tehran-Pars and Narmak.
Who lives in Tehran?
Tehran, like the rest of Iran, is a young city, with an average age of 32.
The country has the largest number of Shia Muslims globally - making up 90 percent of the population - with most subscribing to the Twelver branch.
The city is home to considerable numbers of Kurds and Azerbaijanis.
Many people left the city, especially to the West, during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the advent of the Islamic Republic.
Others fled during the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988, when the city was last targeted by air raids. Recent attacks have evoked painful memories for many of Tehran's older residents.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 brought refugees from the east, a number that was later boosted by the US-led military action from 2001 onwards. But many Afghans in Iran have faced discrimination and are frequently deported.
What's the layout of Tehran?
Tehran has faced many economic and political challenges over the last half century, including the Islamic Revolution, Saddam Hussein's war on Iran, and, more recently, the imposition of sanctions by the US and others.
This has meant that Tehran's infrastructure has failed to keep pace with its growth, resulting in gridlocked roads and poor services.
The city consists of 22 districts. Like many capitals, it is marked by older, more historic buildings at its centre, including mosques, religious schools and the central bazaar, linked by squares, boulevards and narrow streets.
Some, such as the old royal citadel, are now occupied by government offices.
More modern neighbourhoods and suburbs, planned on a grid street system, have sprung up in recent decades, especially to the south and west, where they have absorbed smaller towns and communities on the outskirts of Tehran.
Infrastructure includes Mehrabad International Airport to the south, which serves domestic flights, but has been hit by Israeli missiles in the past week.
The area close to the mountain foothills has traditionally been favoured by the city's wealthy, who appreciate its cooler climate during the summer heat. As the city has expanded over the decades, these districts have become part of Tehran. Land is more expensive here, but the population density is lower and services are better.
Kesharvarz Boulevard, pictured (left in November 2024 and after an Israeli attack on 15 June 2025), crosses Valiasar Boulevard (AFP)
Land is also more expensive on the city's north-south and east-west routes, such as historic Valiasar Boulevard, and Enqelab Street, which is named after the revolution of 1979 and associated with protests against Iran's mandatory hijab.
Modern expressways, including the Hemmat Highway, run east-west to the suburbs.
What's Tehran like for transport?
Bad. While news reports in recent days have emphasised the lines of traffic leaving the city, Tehran has always been notorious for its congestion and pollution, which is exacerbated by the high number of older vehicles on the roads.
Pollution chokes Tehran in December 2023, forcing some workplaces and schools to shut. The problem is worse during the colder autumn and winter months (AFP)
The result is frequent smog. Much of this is down to geography and the Alborz mountains that prevent winds blowing in from the Caspian and trap hot air coming from the south.
Only limited relief has come with the subway network, one of the biggest rail networks in the region. It first began running trains in 1999 and now has seven lines carrying more than three million people every day.
Its tunnels are now being used by many Tehranis to shelter from the missile strikes, along with basements or older shelters used in the war with Iraq during the 1980s.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
30 minutes ago
- Al Etihad
Israeli army chief warns of 'prolonged campaign' in Iran
20 June 2025 22:04 JERUSALEM (AFP) Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir warned Friday that his country should be "ready for a prolonged campaign" against Iran, as the longtime foes exchanged fire for the eighth day."We have embarked on the most complex campaign in our history to remove a threat of such magnitude, against such an enemy. We must be ready for a prolonged campaign," Zamir said in a video statement to launched attacks against Iran last Friday which have combined targeted assassinations of key military personnel with strikes on Iran's nuclear and missile said the Israeli military had prepared for "years" for the campaign against Iran, even while Israeli troops continue their devastating campaign against Hamas in Iranian "operation was made possible thanks to the convergence of operational and strategic conditions, some of which were temporary," Zamir said, adding that "history would not forgive us if we failed to act now" against an "existential threat" to say Iran was severely weakened by Israeli strikes on allied militant groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon since 2023, while Israel damaged Tehran's air defences in tit-for-tat exchanges between the countries last hailed "extraordinary results" from fighter jet pilots flying missions "at the greatest range and intensity in the (air) force's history".He also said that Israelis needed to brace for more difficulties, as the country comes under daily attack from Iranian ballistic missiles. "Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead. We must remain alert and united until the mission is complete," he added. Israel-Iran Conflict Continue full coverage
Middle East Eye
41 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Israeli forces push deeper into Syria as strikes with Iran enter second week
Israeli forces advanced several kilometres into southern Syria this week, where they destroyed homes and razed vast acres of land, as Israel's strikes with Iran entered its second week. Local residents told Middle East Eye that heavily armed Israeli soldiers advanced at least 1.5 km into the southern province of Quneitra on Thursday, where they destroyed at least 15 homes and vast areas of forest and agricultural land. The residents said that Israeli soldiers launched their advance towards several towns, including al-Hamidiyah, with Israel claiming they were targeting "extremist militants" or preventing "attacks linked to Hezbollah or Iran". Israel and Iran have been trading strikes since last Friday, 13 June, in what Israel describes as an effort to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Israel has failed to provide any evidence that Iran was close to developing a nuclear bomb, and the latest assessments of the international community, including from the US, have indicated that Iran had not made a decision to weaponise its nuclear programme, something it had abandoned in 2003. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Syria's geographic location has made its skies a battleground for the tit-for-tat strikes, with the Israeli air force repeatedly violating the country's airspace. Debris has repeatedly crashed on the ground, particularly in the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Mohammad al-Ali, an al-Hamidiyah resident, told MEE that his community was gripped by fear after Israel's latest incursions into southern Syria. "They (Israeli soldiers) arrived and suddenly told us we had to evacuate," he said. "I was prepared for anything when I left under the threat of weapons with my wife and three children, but I did not expect they would demolish our home, with all its furniture and memories, in such a savage way." 'Major instability' Mohammad al-Saeed, the director of the Media Directorate in Quneitra Province, suggested that whilst the world's and the Syrian government's attention was focused on the hostilities between Israel and Iran, Israel was exploiting the situation to seize more territory in Syria. "These Israeli assaults create major instability, particularly with the security checkpoints that the Israeli army sets up deep inside Syrian territory," he said. "Some have reached up to 17km into Syria, including areas like Tel al-Mal." According to multiple reports, Israeli forces have intensified efforts to grab land in a buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and a 1974 ceasefire line since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in early December. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday that Israeli forces, using tanks, Humvees and SUVs, had amassed near three towns in Quneitra: Mashara, Jaba and al-Samdaniya al-Gharbiya, with the aim of establishing new military checkpoints. This came as Israeli forces began excavating forests in the Jubata al-Khashab Nature Reserve and land in adjacent areas, reportedly with the aim of establishing Israeli military bases and observation points. Syria's new rulers face unprecedented criticism as Israel uses air space to attack Iran Read More » Basel Othman, a long-time resident of Salam city, formerly known as al-Baath, said that the Israeli army had "bulldozed hundreds of hectares of farmland under the pretext that it obstructs the military's visibility". "Entire groves of trees that had stood for centuries were cut down simply because Israel suffers from paranoia of being attacked," he told MEE. Since the fall of the Assad dynasty, the Israeli army has carried out regular air raids and ground incursions into Syria, sometimes injuring and killing residents. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to double the number of Israeli settlers in the occupied Golan Heights, territory which is still recognised as part of Syria by the international community, with the exception of the United States. Al-Quds al-Arabi reported on Thursday that in recent days, Israeli forces deliberately attacked water pipelines and critical infrastructure when they stormed al-Hamidiyah and the village of Juba in Quneitra, resulting in hundreds of homes losing access to safe drinking water. Saeed, the director of the Media Directorate in Quneitra Province, said that the Israeli military's decision to set up random checkpoints was causing widespread alarm, with many in the area complaining about "systematic humiliation". "They (Israeli soldiers) often deliberately humiliate people by searching their phones and photos, detaining some for hours, and then releasing them," he said. "This is clearly aimed to instil fear and suppress morale."
Middle East Eye
41 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Israeli official wanted by ICC sparks outrage online after column in major British paper
A recent column published by The Times newspaper, co-authored by right-wing British historian Niall Ferguson and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, titled, Israel Has Done Most of the Job, Now Trump Can Finish It, has ignited widespread outrage across social media platforms. The article, originally published in one of Britain's oldest newspapers, calls for US President Donald Trump to escalate military action against Iran in the wake of Israel's recent operations. The decision to platform Gallant, who is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, has drawn sharp criticism. The Times of London publish an op-Ed by Yoav Gallant and Niall Ferguson. For context the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Gallant alleging that he used 'starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity, persecution, and other inhumane acts…' — Tam Hussein (@tamhussein) June 20, 2025 People on the social media platform X termed The Times' editorial choice as 'sickening' and 'shameful', highlighting the ethical and legal implications of amplifying a figure wanted under an active ICC arrest warrant. Many saw the column as yet another stark example of the double standards in western media's coverage of the Middle East, particularly in relation to Palestine and the application of international law. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Investigative journalist John McEvoy described the move as 'a new low for the British media', while others questioned whether the newspaper acknowledged Gallant's ICC status in his bio. "I wonder if The Times put wanted war criminal in Gallant's bio... yet another example of how our western media is failing the public every single day," wrote another. One person said mainstream media had 'lost credibility to the point of no return,' accusing it of publishing the warmongering of a wanted war criminal as journalism, calling it 'propaganda and disinformation in the service of war crimes'. The UK, as a signatory to the Rome Statute, is legally obligated to arrest Gallant should he enter the country, further fuelling accusations of editorial negligence. The UK has a legal obligation to arrest Yoav Gallant if he visit the country, it's really a terrible decision by @thetimes to publish an article of a wanted war criminal. — Beatrice Fihn (@BeaFihn) June 20, 2025 Outrage also focused on the article's underlying message, which many viewed as a blatant call for further regional escalation. For some, it echoed the same narratives used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a case of history repeating itself. "Niall Ferguson and Yoav Gallant writing an article together in the Murdoch zionist rag urging war on Iran. Of course they are, Iraq 2.0 with the same cliched reasoning of Western superiority justifying it, oblivious to 2 years of slaughter of civilians, particularly children." "A new low. The Times publishes an article urging an illegal war on Iran, in which a deluded right-wing British historian has teamed up with Yoav Gallant, an actual war criminal wanted by the ICC for war crimes & crimes against humanity," another social media user added. The Times really did just publish this. Ferguson supported the Iraq war in 2003, describing himself as "a fully paid-up member of the neo-imperialist gang". Gallant is the ex Defence Minister of Israel - and has an ICC arrest warrant out for him (the UK subscribes to the ICC). — Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) June 20, 2025 The co-authorship with Orientalist scholar Ferguson, known for his strong support of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, has further amplified the backlash. "A new low. The Times publishes an article urging an illegal war on Iran, in which a deluded right-wing British historian has teamed up with Yoav Gallant, an actual war criminal wanted by the ICC for war crimes & crimes against humanity." Gallant, notably, is one of three Israeli leaders facing an active International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, making his participation in a British publication's advocacy for war not just unprecedented, but deeply alarming to many online.
