At a remote mountain pass in eastern Turkey, travellers from Iran have crossed from Turkey into Iran, amid a week marked by war and long journeys. Some fled due to bombings in their cities, others left after losing contact with loved ones, and most carry only small suitcases, a phone without a local SIM card, and a determination to finish the journey. Ebrahim Eidi, who had recently been in Tehran, said many Iranians were waiting to see if the government was weakened enough for protests to erupt. Many chose to stay in Iran as they still had hope for the country, but feared that the situation could spiral. Hamid Shirmohammadzadeh, 35, had travelled back to Iran shortly before the war and fled with his wife and children when Tehran came under attack. He had been building a life in Tokyo, working for an import-export firm, but returned to Iran after his visa expired.