Trump asks Tehran residents to ‘evacuate immediately’. But can they?

On Monday, Israel ordered Iranians to evacuate from the northern part of the capital, Tehran, days after launching its deadly strikes across Iran. The same day, it bombed the headquarters of the state TV channel IRIB during a live broadcast.

Experts say these moves form part of Israel’s “psychological warfare” against Iranians, many of whom have already left the capital amid a continuing barrage of Israeli attacks, which have killed more than 220 people in five days.Israeli spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an “urgent warning” on X on Monday, calling for an evacuation order for District 3, a leafy, affluent area in northern Tehran where many foreign embassies are located.

It came attached with a 3D map and a warning to residents that their presence there “endangers” their lives; a format strikingly similar to his warnings issued throughout Israel’s war on Gaza and its bombardment of Lebanon.

Later, another evacuation order came from Israel’s closest ally, the United States. “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday.

But can a whole city – home to nearly 10 million people – simply pack up and leave? Let’s break it down for you:

How possible is it for all of Tehran’s residents to evacuate?
It would be difficult for all its residents to leave in a timeframe that would ensure their safety, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran, Maziar Motamedi.

One reason is that Iran’s capital has a large population of roughly 10 million, which is more people than in London or New York.The traffic jams are reportedly worsening as the day progresses.

Tehran is also surrounded by mountainous terrain, and exit routes are limited to fewer than a dozen arteries that lead out of the city.

Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari spoke to some residents who had been attempting to leave Tehran, noting that a trip that usually takes seven to eight hours to reach an area by the Caspian Sea can now take between 18 and 24 hours to complete, due to traffic.Are there any bomb shelters in Tehran?
No.

“There are no bomb shelters in Iran, there never have been, so people really don’t have anywhere to go”, Al Jazeera’s Jabbari explained.

“This was an unthinkable situation for most Iranians. They haven’t seen bombs dropping on Tehran since the Iran-Iraq War, and that ended 37 years ago,” she said.

A resident of the Zafaraniyeh neighbourhood in northern Tehran told Al Jazeera that officials had suggested that metro stations and some schools in the city could be prepared to accommodate people seeking shelter.

However, these structures were not designed to withstand the type of bombardment that Israel has been striking the capital with.

What is in District 3?
The area that the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for is home to roughly 330,000 people and the sprawling headquarters of the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, which Israel bombed on Monday after Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said it was “on its way to disappear”.

It is also home to the busy Nelson Mandela Boulevard, which experiences regular traffic jams and is home to several foreign embassies.

The lush expanse of Mellat Park, the Enghelab Sports Complex with its popular outdoor swimming facilities, several hospitals and the sprawling Tehran International Exhibition Centre are also situated in the area.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has its Sarallah headquarters in the area, as do the police.

Al Jazeera’s Motamedi said several highways run through or along the periphery of the area marked in Israel’s evacuation orders, putting civilians using those roads at risk.

However, he said, wherever residents go, they have been at risk from the start with Israel’s bombs striking whenever and wherever they want.