The migration and displacement of people from cities in southern Iran is one of the consequences of the war that has affected the lives of millions of people in recent weeks. Some media outlets have compared the current situation to the mass displacement of people from southern and western Iran during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War.
During that period, thousands of families in Khuzestan Province and other war-affected regions abandoned their homes and moved to safer areas. Now, nearly four decades after the end of that war, the same sense of fear has once again fallen over southern Iran. This time, in addition to the threat of war, people are also struggling with economic hardship, temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F), and repeated water and electricity outages.
A war that may serve the Iranian regime as a means to further securitize society and intensify repression has a very different meaning for the people of southern Iran: concern for their lives, homes, jobs, and future.
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The Return of Painful War Memories
On July 16, the state-run news website Fararu published a report titled “The Return of War to the Memory of Cities; Residents of Abadan and Ahvaz Recall the Return of Fear and Wartime Memories,” examining the resurgence of memories from the eight-year Iran-Iraq War among people in southern Iran.
The report describes today’s conditions as “an echo of the days of the eight-year war,” a conflict whose scars remain visible in war-affected cities, from “mine warning signs” to “shrapnel embedded in walls.”
This time, however, another factor has heightened public concern: the proximity of some military bases and facilities to residential areas. The tragic incident involving a school in Minab and the exposure of civilians to the consequences of military attacks have increased concerns about the safety of ordinary people.
Life, Livelihood, or Migration?
For many people, leaving their city is not easy, even if they wish to do so. What should a family do if it has no car, cannot afford to rent a home in another city, or has no relatives or acquaintances in other provinces if the danger escalates?
Water and electricity outages during the extreme southern heat have further worsened the situation, especially for families with children or elderly members.
On July 19, the state-run newspaper Shargh addressed the same issue, writing that the shadow of war and fears of displacement have spread across regions that were already suffering from economic hardship, poor living conditions, and inadequate infrastructure.
For many people in southern Iran, the issue is no longer simply choosing whether to stay or leave; it has become a choice between survival, livelihood, and displacement.
“Where Should We Go?”
In another report published on July 21 titled “What Is Happening in the South? Where Should I Go?”, Fararu voiced the concerns of local residents, asking: “Is the city going to be emptied? Where should we go?”
The outlet writes: “No one understands the condition of the south except the people of the south.”
If people are forced to leave their cities and have no relatives or place to stay in another province, where should they go? How will they cover their living expenses? What will happen to their jobs and their children’s education? At the same time, the war has also disrupted many businesses.
Under these circumstances, Alireza Noura, deputy governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province and special governor of Chabahar, announced that no official order had been issued to evacuate Chabahar. However, official assurances that conditions are normal have done little to ease the concerns of people who are already experiencing the effects of the war in their daily lives.
“Life on Hold” in Southern Iran
Euronews also examined the situation in Iran’s southern provinces in a report published on July 19 titled “Hostages of Geography: The Lives of 11 Million Civilians in Southern Iran Trapped by Warmongering.”
The report describes the situation as a “life on hold,” stating that the war has disrupted normal life across four southern provinces—regions that are simultaneously facing water shortages, electricity outages, extreme heat, and economic difficulties.
Not everyone in southern Iran has left, and many do not want to abandon their homes and cities. The concern is that if conditions deteriorate further, a large portion of these residents will have no clear or safe alternative.
People who have had no role in the Iranian regime’s military or regional decision-making are now paying the price with their security, livelihoods, and future.
