Safety Measures

War?

What if “Israel” or other imperialists/terrorist entities attack Iran?

Especially now that both Gaza and Beirut, densely populated cities, are under siege from the genocide and the “greater israel” expansion project, one may worry about the same happening to a city in Iran at some point. Luckily, it is not something tourists in Iran should worry about. Iran is very far away and is an enormous country — there is plenty of time to get alerted if something gets close to its airspace and plenty of space to move around from city to city. Be more worried about earthquakes in the northwest.

If conflict in the region were to escalate towards Iran, there will be signs beforehand and time to prepare. Your tour guide will communicate a safety plan with the group. As an additional precaution, you will be kept away from potential target spots, such as near military airbases and nuclear power plants (Scroll Below to Tips {2} to {4} for more).

Heritage sites and hotels are safe locations.

Airspace Closures?

What happens if we become stranded?

Airspace in Iran (and neighbouring countries) predictably closed down in mid-April 2024, right before my planned arrival to Isfahan. If I recall correctly, it lasted a little over a week. As soon as the simmer cooled off and airspace reopened, I secured a flight and everything went smoothly from start to finish.

As mentioned above, there are normally signs before any escalation. It is possible to flee before conflict rises further and before a potential halt to flights.

Airspace of a country may close as a way to preemptively protect people during times of heightened threat. A smaller scale of this would be temporary closure of one specific airport or a specific airline independently suspending flights to a country.

In recent times, when Iran has declared airspace closures, it typically only lasted a few days to one week. The same rule has been in effect with Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen.

If airspace were to close before your trip, perhaps even during your layover, it will likely reopen in the coming days. Your travel agency will assess the situation and help you manage. If airspace were to close during your trip or near your departure day, your agency will help you navigate by land. As I mentioned in numerous posts, the bus and trains in Iran are safe, comfortable, timely, and affordable. I’m a big fan of road trips through Iran and watching the terrain change. You’ll enjoy a scenic roadtrip through Iran to the border of Armenia or Turkey, both of which are popular border crossings used by many international travellers.

Extra Tips

Just friendly reminders related to everyday code of conduct in Iran—which can be applied to all neighbouring countries—and precautionary measures to ensure your safety.

• {1} Photo and Film: Avoid taking photos of official buildings or next-door to government buildings. Furthermore, do not take photos of people in public without their permission. You can film and photograph in public if people are far enough away, but be discrete and do not make them the focal point. Use your judgement.
• Points 2 to 4 cover three types of areas to avoid: crowds (especially during specific types of events), risky provinces, and any military areas.
• {2} Avoid Crowds: Try to avoid crowded areas during holidays or political events. Sometimes it’s unavoidable; bazaars are almost always crowded on weekend evenings! Just know where the exits are and stay in the periphery.
• {3} Avoid These Provinces: Sistan and Balochistan and South Khorasan. Stay away from the borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. Whilst you can visit other provinces that share a border with those countries (to see popular cities of culture and tourism, like Shushtar, Kermanshah, Mashhad, Palangan, etc.), avoid getting close to the international borders.
• {4} Avoid High–Risk Spots: If you’re with a guided group, you will not be taken to areas that “Israel”, the U.S., or Wahhabi groups might target, such as: near oil or gas energy fields, a nuclear power plant, or near a military airport. These areas are inaccessible and are not inside the cities, anyway — so, there is no need to worry about whether you get lost and end up somewhere like this.
• {5} Offline Maps: If you use Google Maps on your mobile, make sure your hotel, (and every other important location, like bus terminals, tourist headquarters, embassy, etc.) are bookmarked.
  • Bookmark your locations for every city you plan to travel to.
  • Once you’ve got your bookmarks, you will then save an offline version of that map. Please do this in advance whilst you have internet and VPN.
  • Offline Maps are reliable in times where VPN may stop working and internet may be spotty. They also preserve your phone battery.
  • Here is a how–to guide.
• {6} No Preaching and No Propoganda: Respect the law, the people, and the social norms. Do not talk about sensitive political topics and do not disrespect any religious figures. If you have an agenda and if you are trying to spread support of Western imperialism and believe western “values” are superior, you should not go to Iran in the first place. And if you get reprimanded, that would be your fault. The western media loves to talk about how Iran arrests foreigners, but many times they are political enemies that carry influence or are sent to Iran to cause strife — any country would arrest a foreigner that threatens the peace.
  Pro-Tip: be an observer, and do not try to preach your ways, instead, let your travels enlighten you. You’ll come out of your travels with a deeper understanding and respect of different ways of life.
• {7} Optional: Be in contact with your embassy (Swiss, for Americans). Have their number saved.

Standing out as foreign—good or bad?

Both men and women who are visibly foreign (i.e., travellers whose facial features, mannerisms, or personal style stands out as non–Middle Eastern) may even have more benefits in their public interactions with strangers.

If you are visibly foreign you won’t be expected to know all the different local customs. Also, you’ll be seen as an interesting representative of your own culture—so represent it well!

The reality is that for a country with a scale of ancient civilisations and heritage site that rivals Egypt and Greece, Iran does not get as much tourism as it should. For that reason, I think Iranians approach all foreigners with genuine intrigue and pleasant surprise. I’ve had interactions with the public where I was treated normally (assuming I’m Iranian), but as soon as they found out I was foreign, the interaction gained an obvious boost of appreciation and generosity. Welcome to Iran!

What about Brits, Canadians, and Americans? Even better. Iranians are a smart and non-judgmental folk, do not judge tourists on the basis of their governments. The fact that you were accepted for a tourist visa means you’ve passed the vetting process. They probably respect you more for going out of your way to come to Iran, since it is hard for those nationalities to make it that far, and most people prefer to visit Egypt or Turkey!

There is a 95% chance you will be invited into their homes for dinner — this is normal in SWANA and many Global south cultures, and it is often safe. It’s a rare opportunity for a family to authentically show outsiders warm hospitality, because trust me, Iranians know how western media distorts the perspective about SWANA ways of life. I mentioned in other posts that I received positive reactions from nearly every stranger, whether I told them I was Yemeni, Saudi, American, all three, or just “Arab–American”.

(SWANA: Southwest Asia and North Africa).

Will I get scammed as a foreigner? Iran does not get too many foreigners compared to other historic nations in the region like Egypt or Turkey. Foreigners are treated with high-esteem. But even places like Persepolis where locals are used to tourists, vendors are honest. They want people to spread good words about Iranian culture.

There is not a scamming or pick–pocketing nuisance among Iran societies like there is in Paris or Cairo. Theft for Iranians, just like for Yemenis and Lebanese, is one of the most undignified actions one can take.

Please know that there are times foreigners pay a higher price: sometimes, places that require entry tickets, like museums and archaeological sites, locals pay about 50 cents, whereas foreigners pay between $1 to $2. Ticket booths have a bilingual sign that addresses this cost difference. But for everyday items, services, and souvenirs, prices are the same for all. Often, international visitors also have to pay a little bit more for hotel stays than Iranians.