Iran-Turkey Border: Lifeline Calls Amid Conflict

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On the Iran-Turkey border, a man runs a unique service to help Iranians abroad

stay connected with their families back home. He uses two phones at once,

one linked to the Turkish network and the other to Iran's, to relay calls via WhatsApp.

This work around is crucial because direct international calls into Iran are blocked right now.

These restrictions kicked in amid the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel,

forcing people to get creative with patchy and pricey options.

Calls through the border service often drop after just two or three minutes,

and they rarely connect on the first try, but folks still line up for it.

Iranians inside the country, like those in Tehran, are desperate to reassure relatives overseas.

One man tried every tricky could think of, no matter the cost, just to let his wife and family know,

everyone was safe. Brides to be and worried siblings are paying big sums for brief chats that

ease their fears. Many are turning to virtual private networks to bypass internet blocks,

but data costs have shot up to about $20 per gigabyte, huge when the average monthly wage is

only around $100. Connections are unstable and lost data means no refunds. For family split apart,

every failed call amps up the anxiety, especially with reports of jets overhead,

explosions nearby, and patrols on the brand, streets. Less tech-savvy relatives struggle most,

leaving everyone piecing together news and bits and feeling out of control.

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