Armenian border town sees Iranian arrivals surge as tension rises

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.

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

The Global Mayors Dialogue opened in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday, bringing together mayors and senior city officials from across Europe, Asia, and North America to have in-depth exchanges on practical approaches to developing the ice and snow economy.

Held under the theme "Connecting the World with Ice and Snow, Win-Win Cooperation for a Shared Future", the three-day event gathered mayors, deputy mayors, and mayoral representatives from cities across the globe, including Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Türkiye, focusing on the ice and snow economy, cultural integration, smart city development, heritage preservation, and urban governance.

The event featured a main dialogue and a scenario-based dialogue salon to foster in-depth exchanges and spark new ideas. Guests are invited to visit iconic sites such as the Harbin Ice and Snow World and attend the opening ceremony and trade events of the Harbin Ice and Snow Economy Expo, which are showcasing Harbin's achievements in building an ice and snow economy brand, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, and inheriting ice and snow culture.

Harbin, called China's "ice city", has turned its long, cold winters into a major tourist attraction. Last winter, it welcomed a record 90.36 million visitors, generating 137.22 billion yuan (about 19.44 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, a year-on-year increase of 16.6 percent.

International mayors gather in Harbin to explore ice and snow economy