People flee Iran's capital as Israeli strikes intensify
Thousands of residents of the Iranian capital Tehran are fleeing their homes and stockpiling essential supplies for fear that Israel's air strike campaign against Iran will escalate in the coming days.
The Israeli military has warned Iranian civilians in a series of messages to leave some areas for their own safety, raising the prospect of a widening barrage of aerial attacks.
Iranian authorities have rejected the messages as "psychological warfare" and urged the population not to panic, although state television has aired footage of traffic jams on roads leading out of the capital.
"We have nowhere to go. Where should we go? How long should we stay away from our homes?" 38-year-old Shahriyar, said by phone from Tehran, a city of more than 10 million people.
Art teacher Arshia, 29, told Reuters that his family was leaving for the town of Damavand, about 50km east of Tehran, until the conflict was over.
"My parents are scared. Every night there are attacks, no air raid sirens and no shelters to go to. Why are we paying the price for the Islamic Republic's hostile policies?" said Arshia, who withheld his surname for fear of reprisal from authorities.
The attacks have spread a sense of dread across the sprawling Islamic Republic, exposing critical gaps in safety measures, particularly the lack of adequate bomb shelters.
Despite having built several underground missile "cities," Iran lacks public bomb shelters.
However, the government said on Sunday that mosques, schools and subways would be open around the clock to serve as shelters during Israeli attacks.
The death toll in Iran has reached at least 224, with civilians accounting for 90 per cent of the casualties, an Iranian official said.
In Israel, 24 people have been killed by retaliatory Iranian missile strikes, all of them civilians.
NetBlocks, an independent agency that tracks internet flows, reported a nearly 50 per cent decline in international internet access for Iranians, confirming user reports of online outages since Israel launched its airstrikes on Friday.
The security forces have issued warnings against any contacts with Israel, according to state media, while dozens had been arrested for allegedly "spying for Israel or inciting public opinion by spreading lies".
Three shopkeepers in Tehran told Reuters people were stocking up on food and gas cylinders for cooking, and water.
with AP
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