A growing number of residents of Iran have been seen crossing into neighboring Armenia through the Meghri border checkpoint on Wednesday amid the escalating conflict with Israel.
While no official figures have been released, eyewitnesses in the southern Armenian town of Agarak reported hundreds of people arriving within the space of several hours, many carrying heavy suitcases, seemingly prepared for an extended stay.
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Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
As the border town of Meghri is now overwhelmed with shelter-seekers from Iran, who have not yet been granted refugee status, local hotels are now reaching full capacity.
With Iran's airspace shutdown, Armenia has become a vital transit hub, not only for Iranians, but also for foreign nationals escaping the conflict and seeking routes home.
Iran's northern neighbor, Azerbaijan, has also received a significant number of arrivals.
Government officials in both the Azerbaijani capital Baku and Armenia's Yerevan said more than 700 foreigners living in Iran have crossed into their borders as of Tuesday.
Regional tensions escalated after Israel launched large-scale airstrikes early last Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran responded with retaliatory strikes later that day, while the two sides have continued to trade missile attacks in the days since.
Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises
