A Chinese citizen who managed to flee Tehran has recounted the urgent evacuation amid the tensions and uncertainties brought by the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.
Wang Boyang had worked in Tehran for two years as the deputy secretary-general of the Iran Federation of Overseas Chinese Association. He and his team successfully crossed the Astara border into Azerbaijan when the security situation in Iran deteriorated due to the escalation of Iran-Israel conflict since June 13.
The exchange of missiles between Iran and Israel caused the two countries and other nations in the Middle East to close their airspace and even suspend the operation of many airports. As people stranded in Iran have been scrambling to evacuate through land ports, the country is facing fuel shortage, Wang told China Global Television Network (CGTN) after safely entering Azerbaijan on Tuesday.
"We set off on the night of June 16 and arrived at the border on the morning of the 17th. But it wasn't until the evening of the 17th that people started crossing the border at a faster pace. There's a major fuel shortage in Tehran and the surrounding cities. At some gas stations, the line of cars waiting for refueling stretched over three kilometers. The journey from Tehran to the Astara border crossing is about 470 kilometers, and it took us nearly 12 hours to get there," said Wang.
He said that the Israeli bombings and warnings as well as the Internet blackout have forced the panicking residents to flee Tehran, leaving the Iranian capital an "empty city."
"Tehran has almost turned into an empty city. Israel's evacuation warnings triggered widespread panic among Iranians. For example, they issued an order to evacuate a zone in District 2, saying heavy bombing was imminent, and soon, by around 16:00 that day, the Iranian state TV station was bombed -- proving that their warnings are often followed through. Since the 16th, all foreign nationals' phones in Iran have been blocked and there is no signal at all. Iranian phones could still make calls, but there was no internet access. So essentially, for about two to three days, we were completely out of contact," said Wang.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday that more than 1,600 Chinese nationals have been safely evacuated from Iran, while hundreds more have been relocated from Israel. The ministry and relevant diplomatic missions are sparing no effort to help transfer more citizens to neighboring countries.
Chinese citizen recounts urgent evacuation from Iran amid escalating conflict
