As tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, Türkiye is tightening security measures along its eastern border with Iran. Many Iranians have been fleeing from the conflict through the Gurbulak crossing, while some others are returning to Iran despite the risks. At the Gurbulak crossing in eastern Türkiye's Agri, suitcases line the pavement, children cling to their parents, and exhausted faces tell stories without words. Amid the chaos, one man steps forward -- his voice trembling, his clothes still dusty -- to recount the horror experience he fled in Tehran. "I'm coming from Tehran Nobonyad Square - one of the first places that got bombed. It took me two days to get here. We were searching for small children under the rubble. My elderly parents were sleeping when the building collapsed. Our neighbors died," said the fleeing Iranian. At the Turkish-Iranian border, emotions are raw. The chaos of war has forced thousands of Iranians to flee, seeking safety wherever they can. According to border officials, the number of daily crossings has more than tripled since the conflict began. Among them, there are students and foreign visitors, but all are united by the trauma they've witnessed and the uncertainty ahead. "We're not a nation that runs away from war. But I had to leave -- I have an internship here. Otherwise, I would have stayed. I believe in our country," said Ebul Fez, a fleeing Iranian student. "Yesterday (Wednesday), some of the banks went down, the interconnection went down. And then, because of the banking system they have, and with limited access then to banks, to funds. It was like, we need to leave ASAP (as soon as possible). Then we moved up to the Caspian to try to get away from it, and then to track all the way down here to the border," said Morgan, an Irish tourist. While many are crossing the border to seek safety, others are heading back into a landscape marked by growing uncertainty. Some say they need to collect belongings, check on relatives, or assess the situation for themselves. "Our children are there, our home, our mother. We're afraid, but we have no choice. We must go back," said a man returning to Iran. "We're scared. But everything we have is in Tehran. We need to gather our things, see our brother, and then figure out what's next," said a woman. With 570 kilometers of shared border, Türkiye is tightening security amid growing tensions. Regional tensions escalated after Israel launched large-scale airstrikes early last Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran responded with retaliatory strikes later that day, and the two sides have continued to trade missile attacks in the days since. SHOTLIST: Gurbulak Border Crossing, Agri, Türkiye - June 19, 2025 1. Various of people fleeing Iran approaching Gurbulak border crossing; 2. Border official checking document; 3. Various of people with luggage by side of bus, getting on bus; 4. Fleeing Iranian on bus; 5. SOUNDBITE (Farsi, dubbed in English) fleeing Iranian (name not given) (starting with shot 4): "I'm coming from Tehran, Nobonyad Square - one of the first places that got bombed. It took me two days to get here. We were searching for small children under the rubble. My elderly parents were sleeping when the building collapsed. Our neighbors died."; 6. Various of people at border crossing; 7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish, dubbed in English) Ebul Fez, fleeing Iranian student (starting with shot 6): "We're not a nation that runs away from war. But I had to leave -- I have an internship here. Otherwise, I would have stayed. I believe in our country."; 8. Various of people at border crossing; 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Morgan (full name not given), Irish tourist (partially overlaid with shot 10): "Yesterday (Wednesday), some of the banks went down, the interconnection went down. And then, because of the banking system they have, and with limited access then to banks, to funds. It was like, we need to leave ASAP (as soon as possible). Then we moved up to the Caspian to try to get away from it, and then to track all the way down here to the border."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 10. Various of people getting on bus; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 11. Various of people at border crossing; 12. SOUNDBITE (Turkish, dubbed in English) man returning to Iran (name not given) (starting with shot 11): "Our children are there, our home, our mother. We're afraid, but we have no choice. We must go back."; 13. Various of people at border crossing; 14. SOUNDBITE (Turkish, dubbed in English) woman returning to Iran (name not given): "We're scared. But everything we have is in Tehran. We need to gather our things, see our brother, and then figure out what's next."; 15. People fleeing Iran approaching border crossing; 16. People at border crossing. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]