Old video from Nepal shared as people fleeing Iran amid violence

This viral video is from the Dolpa district in Nepal and it has no link to Iran.

In January 2026, thousands of Iranians are reportedly fleeing the country or moving internally to escape a severe domestic crisis characterized by a violent government crackdown on nationwide protests and a collapsing economy. Massive anti-government protests, which intensified in late December 2025 and January 2026, have been met with lethal force. As per reports, more than 15000 people have been killed by security forces during this period. Amidst this, a video of people scaling a mountain has gone viral on social media with the claim that it shows Iranians fleeing Tehran to escape persecution. The caption of the post states, “Thousands of Iranians are fleeing Tehran to the mountains, fearing for their very lives. Please pray for the people of Iran.”

Let’s check the truth

Facebook Post| Archive link

Fact Check- 

We started our investigation by running a reverse image search on Google and the results led us to a similar video uploaded on an Instagram account on 2 June, 2025, by an account called MadeInNepal. The description of the post states that, Every year, Dolpa’s highlands, particularly Rupa Patan, attract many individuals seeking to harvest yarsagumba, a highly valued medicinal fungus known as “Himalayan Gold.” This fungus grows at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 meters and is sought for its health benefits. Villagers from Dolpa and nearby districts undertake challenging journeys to collect yarsagumba, setting up temporary camps and enduring harsh conditions for weeks. The income from this collection is crucial for families, often sustaining them for a year, but they also face risks such as altitude sickness and unpredictable weather during the process.

This Instagram account MadeInNepal credited an account called Nedo Soch for this video, and we conducted further searches and found the same viral video on the TikTok account of Nedo Yatri, and it was uploaded on 29 May 2025. According to the post, this footage was from the Rup-Patan region in Nepal’s Dolpa district.

Yarsagumba in Nepal is a rare fungus and it is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for 2000 years, this caterpillar fungus is a highly prized tonic, touted for its ability to increase energy and vitality. The harvest of Yarsagumba is a critical annual trek for Nepali communities, providing the main source of cash income from a rare fungus highly valued in traditional medicine. 

So, based on all these evidences, we can understand that this video is from Nepal and it has no link to Iran.

Conclusion- 

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be False. This viral video is from the Dolpa district in Nepal and it has no link to Iran.