On Monday, Israel issued an order for Iranian citizens to evacuate from the northern area of the capital, Tehran, mere days following the initiation of its lethal airstrikes across the territory of Iran. On that same day, Israel targeted and bombed the headquarters of the state television channel IRIB while a live broadcast was in progress.

Experts say these moves are part of Israel’s “psychological warfare” against Iranians, many of whom have already fled the capital amid a continuing barrage of Israeli attacks that have killed more than 220 people in five days. An additional evacuation order was issued by Israel’s closest ally, the US. “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” US President Donald Trump made a statement on his Truth Social platform on Monday.

However, can an entire city, housing nearly 10 million individuals, simply evacuate? Israeli spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an “urgent warning” on X on Monday, advocating for an evacuation order for District 3, a verdant and affluent area situated in northern Tehran, where numerous foreign embassies are located.

This warning was accompanied by a three-dimensional map and a caution to residents that their presence in the area “endangers” their lives, a format that is notably similar to the warnings he has issued throughout Israel’s conflict with Gaza and its bombardment of Lebanon.

How feasible is it for all of Tehran’s residents to evacuate?

It would be challenging for all residents to evacuate within a timeframe that would ensure their safety, as reported by Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran, Maziar Motamedi. One contributing factor is that the capital of Iran has a substantial population of approximately 10 million, exceeding that of London or New York.

Should one extend the definition to encompass the metropolitan area, including the surrounding suburbs and towns, the population is estimated to be around 14 to 15 million.

Significant traffic congestion is already prevalent in Tehran, particularly during peak hours and public holidays. However, on Tuesday, many roads throughout the city were immobilized by traffic jams as residents attempted to evacuate. Reports indicate that the traffic congestion is intensifying as the day advances.

Tehran is encircled by mountainous terrain, and the exit routes are confined to fewer than a dozen arteries leading out of the city.

Dorsa Jabbari from Al Jazeera engaged with several residents who have been striving to leave Tehran. She observed that a journey, which typically requires seven to eight hours to reach a location by the Caspian Sea, can now extend to between 18 and 24 hours to complete, owing to heavy traffic.

Are there any bomb shelters located in Tehran?

Al Jazeera’s Jabbari clarified, “There are no bomb shelters in Iran; there have never been any. Thus, individuals truly lack a place to seek refuge.”  She remarked, “This circumstance is unimaginable for the majority of Iranians. They have not witnessed bombs descending upon Tehran since the Iran-Iraq War, which concluded 37 years ago.”

A resident of the Zafaraniyeh neighborhood in northern Tehran informed Al Jazeera that authorities had proposed that metro stations and certain schools within the city could be prepared to house individuals seeking shelter.

These edifices were not constructed to endure the magnitude of bombardment that Israel has been unleashing upon the capital.

What is in District 3?

Approximately 330,000 individuals inhabit the region for which the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders and encompasses the extensive headquarters of the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, which was subjected to bombardment by Israel on Monday, following a statement by Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, indicating that it was “on its way to disappear.”

Additionally, the verdant expanses of Mellat Park, the Enghelab Sports Complex, renowned for its outdoor swimming facilities, numerous hospitals, and the expansive Tehran International Exhibition Centre are located within this vicinity. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operates its Sarallah headquarters in this area, along with the police force.