He actually wanted to visit his parents in Iran two weeks ago, but Iliyas Hoshyar felt his water that that would not be a good idea. He therefore stayed in his hometown Emmen, from where he maintains close contact with his family in Tehran.
It is not exactly Hoshyar. With his Asser Travel Agency Persian Bridges, he is only too happy to bring passengers to Iran, but there is always a reason not to do it. Corona, the death of a general or the constant threat of bombing: taking the plane to Iran is unwise. It is not without reason that the travel advice for Iran has been on red for years.
“This year I really wanted to go,” says Hoshyar, who was still traveling to his native country in 2020. “But I already had a feeling that something would happen again. The American President Donald Trump always brings unrest. You feel that something is booming when you follow the American media.”
Hoshyar was right. Israel started attacks on his native country more than a week ago. Since this weekend the Americans are also involved, with bombing on nuclear installations.
He naturally follows the situation in Iran closely. “In principle, daily life continues,” says Hoshyar. “People have worked. My parents briefly went to the north of Iran to escape the tension, but they are already back in Tehran. You finally want to go back to your own house.”
His parents are not anxious. Instead, Hoshyar talks about the repressive actions of the Iranian regime. The internet is largely closed in Iran, he says, but the people still find ways to stay online. “It’s a kind of cat and mouse game. If the government closes Instagram? Then people go to Telegram, or to something else.”
Hoshyar has been living in the Netherlands for 25 years now. His travel agency still exists, but has been inactive for years. No disaster, he says, because he earns his income as a hairdresser. Yet his wish, to visit his parents, remains, even though it seems unfeasible for the time being.
Hoshyar draws a sad conclusion: “Traveling to Iran is just getting unsafe. For five years I hope that the situation will improve, but actually it is only getting worse.”