Mehrabad in 1979
Many of those who fled through Mehrabad in 1979 resettled in countries like the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK, forming the foundation of the modern Iranian diaspora. For them, that final look at Mehrabad was the last glimpse of a homeland they would not see again for years—sometimes decades.
The images of people fleeing Mehrabad—crowds clutching passports, children asleep on suitcases, planes boarding under the watchful eye of armed guards—are seared into the collective memory of a generation. These departures represented more than escape; they were the beginning of a painful exile for many and a reshaping of identity both inside and outside the country.
