Tehran residents flee amid alleged Israeli plan to trigger exodus

Heavy traffic was seen on major highways leading out of Tehran on Sunday, including roads toward Saveh in the southwest and Mashhad in the east, as residents appeared to flee the capital, according to videos received by Iran International.

One video showed congestion on the Tehran–Saveh road, while another, captured similar scenes on the Tehran–Mashhad route.

The apparent exodus follows reports by Israel’s Channel 14 that the Israeli military has launched a strike plan designed to trigger mass civilian evacuations from Tehran.

According to the report, the operation, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Katz, involves targeting sites linked to the Iranian government in an effort to apply pressure through psychological and logistical disruption.