Israel's attack on Iran: What you need to know about Tehran

Middle East Eye

4 hours ago

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.
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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.