In Van, Turkey, Iranians seek a respite from the war between Tehran and the U.S.

NPR | By Hadeel Al-Shalchi,

Leila Fadel

Published August 14, 2026 at 4:44 AM EDT

The Iranian regime wants to drag out the war until the U.S. midterms. Meanwhile, many Iranians are voting with their feet.

Hadeel Al-Shalchi

Hadeel Al-Shalchi is NPR’s International Correspondent based in Istanbul.

Leila Fadel

Leila Fadel is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.

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