As Israeli airstrikes hit Iranian cities, and Iranian forces fired back, Meisam, 41, an Iranian poet and writer, decided it was time to leave Tehran.

On Sunday night, he joined the crowds of people fleeing the Iranian capital and headed for his hometown in East Azerbaijan Province. Meisam, who asked to be identified only by his first name because of the sensitivity of the situation, said he drove through areas where smoke from explosions hung in the air. So many people were driving out of Tehran, he said, that even at 2 a.m. he had to wait in a long line at the gas station to fill up his tank.

“Everything’s uncertain,” he said.

Chaos and fear have gripped Iran in the days since Israel launched its surprise attack on Friday and Iran began launching strikes on Israeli cities in response. Israel’s attacks have killed more than 200 people in Iran, according to the country’s health ministry, and injured more than 1,400. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed in retaliatory barrages by Iran, with roughly 600 injured.

The sense of foreboding escalated on Monday after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order on social media for a large part of northeastern Tehran, saying it planned to target “military infrastructure” in the area within hours. With internet connectivity disrupted, many people without access to social media may have missed the warning.

Gas stations are closing because there is no fuel, those that are open have imposed a limit of 10 liters per car and internet and phone service is severely disrupted, according to six residents of the area.