Many Iranians have been seen at border crossings and transportation hubs in Türkiye -- which shares a 569-kilometer border with Iran -- either rushing to reunite with family in Iran or fleeing the conflict-hit country.
With its visa-free policy allowing Iranians to stay up to 90 days, Türkiye has become a key destination for those escaping the tensions between Iran and Israel.
At the Kapikoy border crossing in Türkiye's eastern province of Van, anxious Iranians have begun arriving.
"My daughter studied here, so I had come once before. But this time I had no choice but to come. I came because I was afraid of the war. I didn't really want to come. I have children too, and I'm truly scared. I haven't slept at all for three nights. People have been really panicking. Tehran was really bad. The situation is not good at all," said an Iranian named Kirmizi Ortulu Kadin, who entered Türkiye at Van.
"Yesterday around this time, I was at work, in District 3 of Tehran. It was announced that Tehran should be evacuated, that it was going to be bombed tonight. So we had no choice but to pack up our things and come here to Van for now. Whenever things settle down, we'll go back and return to our work and lives," said Sarisin Kadin, another Iranian citizen entering Türkiye at the border crossing.
Meanwhile, in Istanbul, some Iranians were seen boarding buses to Türkiye's eastern provinces, hoping to return home from there.
"A blast occurred right in the area where I live, and it caused destruction. Even though Tehran Airport is closed today, I'm going back by bus. In a situation like this, being in my own country is very important to me," said an Iranian woman waiting for her bus to go back to Iran.
"We arrived about 10 days ago and were planning to stay another 20 days. But we're returning to our homeland. And if we can, we're going back to help our country. Because that is our homeland," an Iranian man said before boarding a bus.
As tensions mount between Iran and Israel following the latest round of missile strikes, the impact is already being felt in the region. While analysts warn of a potential refugee influx if tensions persist, Turkish officials say there's been no major movement for now.
Iranians rush to Türkiye border amid conflict as some flee, others return home
Iranians rush to Türkiye border amid conflict as some flee, others return home
Iranians rush to Türkiye border amid conflict as some flee, others return home
The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.
When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.
Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.
"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.
"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.
"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.
After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.
The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident
