Hundreds of thousands of residents were rushing to flee the Iranian capital and Lebanon’s south as the war in the Middle East enters its sixth day, with Iran, Israel and the United States exchanging aerial strikes.
Israeli strikes killed eight people in Lebanon on March 5, as Israel renewed its evacuation call for vast areas of the country's south.
The Iran-backed militant group, which dragged Lebanon into the regional war on March 2, when it launched an attack on Israel, said it had launched missiles at positions in the Galilee area.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported that the mayor of a village in the Nabatieh region of south Lebanon and his wife were killed in one strike, while in a nearby village another strike killed two children and their parents.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it estimates that more than 300,000 Lebanese civilians have so far evacuated their villages in southern Lebanon. During the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024, nearly 1.2 million Lebanese were displaced from their homes.
In Iran’s capital Tehran, uncertainty over how long the conflict may last is growing, prompting residents to stockpile basic necessities.
An estimated 100,000 people fled the Iranian capital Tehran in the first 48 hours of military strikes by the U.S. and Israel, the U.N. refugee agency said.
A situation report from the UNHCR revealed a significant internal exodus, with road police recording between 1,000 and 2,000 vehicles departing the city daily, primarily heading toward northern provinces.
While internal displacement has surged, the report indicated that cross-border movements remain stable for now.
Tehran residents speaking to BBC Persian said they were increasingly concerned about the availability of food and rising prices as explosions continue to be heard across the city.
Israel launched on March 5 a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, which stepped up its attacks on Gulf nations Qatar and Bahrain.
[HH] Iranian drones hit Azerbaijan airport, near school
The conflict took on a more complex dimension on March 5 after two Iranian drones struck areas in Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhichevan.
Azerbaijan summoned the Iranian envoy after two people were wounded in drone hits on an airport and near a school.
The attacks around midday involved at least two drones that crossed from Iran into Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhichevan, which borders Iran and is separated from mainland Azerbaijan by Armenia.
The ministry said it had summoned Iranian envoy in Baku to express "strong protest" over the attack, which "contradicts the norms and principles of international law and contributes to rising tensions in the region.
“Azerbaijan reserves the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures," it added.
