“Maybe we die together”: war drives families across Iran–Turkey border

At a snowbound mountain crossing between Iran and Turkey, the human cost of the expanding war is written in tired faces and small suitcases.

Hundreds of travellers have begun streaming through the remote frontier at Kapıköy Border Gate in eastern Turkey, fleeing airstrikes, cancelled flights and communications blackouts across Iran. Some arrive after days on the road. Others cross with nothing but a phone and the hope of reconnecting with family.

For many, the journey marks the end of a week of chaos — and the start of an uncertain future.

A mountain crossing becomes a lifeline

The border post in Van Province now sees a steady flow of people moving in both directions as the war intensifies.

Families step through the gates asking the same urgent questions: how to reach Van, two hours away, and how to contact relatives after losing signal inside Iran.

Many carry minimal belongings. Some rely on borrowed phones from journalists or volunteers just to send a message home: “We’re safe.”

Fear of bombs — and fear of the state

Among those crossing was 61-year-old Ebrahim Eidi, who recently travelled through Tehran before leaving the country again.

He says many Iranians believe change could come if protests erupt, with exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi seen by some as a possible rallying symbol. Yet fear still dominates daily life.

“People are not afraid of America,” he said. “Unfortunately, they are afraid of their own government.”

Running from war, running out of options

Others fled the moment the fighting reached their cities. Hamid Shirmohammadzadeh escaped Tehran with his wife and children after airstrikes began, abandoning the life he had tried to rebuild abroad.

He had worked in Tokyo before returning to Iran when his visa expired. Now he is stranded again, appealing for help to secure documents for his family.

“In times like this we should help each other,” he said. “My country is at war.”

Choosing family over safety

Not everyone is leaving. Some are heading back into Iran despite the danger.

Leila, 45, travelled from Istanbul toward her hometown of Shiraz after losing contact with relatives — including a brother in a coma.

“How can I be safe when my family might be in danger?” she asked quietly.

Then came the stark calculation facing many Iranians in wartime: “Maybe we die together — or maybe I can help them while we are alive.”

'Maybe we die together': Voices at the Iran-Turkey mountain crossing