Tehran, Feb. 28 (EFE).- Shortly after the first explosions from the Israeli strikes were heard, the streets of northern Tehran filled with cars, blocking major thoroughfares.
Many parents rushed to schools to pick up their children, while long lines formed at ATMs as residents sought to withdraw cash.
On Jordan Avenue, the heavy traffic brought movement to a standstill, with several drivers stepping out of their vehicles in an attempt to direct traffic and ease the congestion.
Although the first explosions occurred further south in the city of 12 million people, the smell of burning and chemicals from the impacts reached northern neighborhoods.
Many of those navigating the gridlocked streets were parents who had collected their children from schools that had opened just two hours earlier.
At one school in the area, the large number of parents gathering outside blocked the street amid visible signs of concern.
Concern was also evident in the queues that formed at several ATMs along Jordan Avenue, where residents waited to withdraw cash.
The rush to ATMs stems from the 12-day war between Iran and Israel last June, when numerous Iranian banks were hacked, leaving many people unable to use credit cards for everyday transactions.
Amid the unfolding events, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization announced the closure of the country’s airspace for six hours and urged citizens not to go to airports.
Israel and the United States confirmed the strikes, which come amid ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. The most recent round was held on Thursday, and another had been scheduled for Monday.
Those talks have taken place under mounting military pressure from the US, which has warned it would strike Iran if no agreement is reached and has carried out its largest military deployment in the Middle East since 2003. EFE jlr-sk
