At the moment, it’s unlikely that anyone visits Iran following governmental advice to just stay away from the war zone, right? Wrong! Actually, there’s a traveler there at the moment bringing boots-on-the-ground footage for interested folks. Read on for more details.

Travel Advisories

It’s March 2026, and many governments, including the USA and Australia, want people off visiting Iran. After all, it’s the epicenter of Trump’s Operation Epic Fury and Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion. Western governments label the Middle East situation as “highly volatile” involving “armed conflict, risk of detention, terrorism, and civil unrest.”

Many commercial flights were grounded, and even folks in Dubai had a problem with that. Yet, despite that, on March 13, 2026, Kashmiri vlogger The Umar uploaded another episode of his current travels through Iran. Admittedly, he’s Muslim, dresses in a traditional way, but is he safe?

Boots On The Ground

Umar’s 30-minute video gave folks a rare, boots-on-the-ground look at the country. Obviously, in some way, he challenged those travel warnings. However, he also confirmed that they are very realistic. Basically, he traveled there as part of a trip in transit, rather than a vacation to enjoy desert sunshine.

Notably, his trip through Iran is a race against time given limitations on his transit visa. His final destination meant a long bike ride, and the entire area seems a bit unsafe for travelers.

Some Challenging Moments

Challenges that he met include zones with “no internet.” He also talked about “no phone working, nothing here is working.” And, that’s just the beginning of the issues that any aspiring travelers might face if they disregard those travel alerts.

One of his major obstacles related to paperwork. That’s because Iran gave him a “12-day approval” to cross the country. To make it to his next border, he had to cover roughly “2,500 or 3,000 kilometers” in less than two weeks.

Even under normal circumstances, that could be somewhat fraught with uncertainty. So, he highlighted that it’s “very difficult when the situation is like this.”

A Rather Frightening Journey

Travel from Khorramabad toward Qom and Tehran wasn’t about sightseeing. Actually, it was more about covering the kilometers as fast as possible.

Talking about the long ride, he said, “Frightened, frightened, cover it.” Additionally, he noted, “I have never done such tough riding in Iran these days as I have done today.”

Surreal Normal & Invisible Tension

For outsiders, The Umar’s travels seem very interesting. In some ways, it’s the gap between what you see on your TVs and what he saw on the ground.

As he drove through places, he reminded his followers that media reports claim traders closed up shop. However, some of his video footage revealed busy markets. “What do they show in the media?” he wondered. “Shops are open… such a thing has not been seen yet.”

A Beautful Country

In a way, it’s a pity he couldn’t explore a bit more, because The Umar seemed very interested in the beauty of Iran’s architecture. For instance, he pointed out the “beautifully” built drainage along the highways.

Additionally, he was struck by the cleanliness in places like Qom. “Iran, you will see it everywhere like this,” he said, noting trash cans everywhere and the lack of litter.

Still, the air of tension remains no matter how clean the place is. He talked about “ships,” perhaps meaning aircraft or drones, “roaming very strongly from above.”

Apart from that, he also cautioned anyone about traveling after dark. “I will not prefer to walk in Iran today in the dark,” he said.

The Cost Of Curiosity

Umar’s job as a content creator kept bumping into reality on the ground. Actually, forget about that because he ran into a few problems. In Khorramabad, “famous for its waterfalls,” he repeatedly asked about seeing them. However, locals told him he’d be foolish to try.

Citing some of them, Umar said, “Do not go there in these situations, it is better.” Deciding to listen to them, he focused on getting out of the country rather than dithering around. After all, it seemed a better option.

Testing The Temperature

In Qom, while it’s known for shrines and whatnot, he decided against filming there as well. First, he wanted to check out the temperature of the folks in the city:

I will first see what is the atmosphere of this city, what is the situation… then according to that, we will open the camera.

Later, he confirmed he couldn’t use his camera anyway as locals urged him to just keep it out of sight.

The Civilian Checkpoint

The scariest moment went down at a scenic viewpoint above Khorramabad. At the time, Umar was filming. Then, two guys in “civilian dress” walked up and started grilling him about filming and what the heck he was doing there.

Next, they demanded sight of his passport. Bravely, he refused, telling the random men, “Who are you? At least show me your ID, then I will show my passport.” Well, that didn’t happen either way, but he got out of there fast.

Hyper-Inflation

Umar’s video wrapped up in Qom, where he finally found a hotel. Importantly for him, it had a special place to park his bike. Actually, that bike really is his lifeline to home. He said, “I can adjust in [a bad room], but I cannot adjust in bike parking, compromise… will not walk in it.”

Booking in, he revealed his accommodation included a toothbrush, soap, and a couch. Price-wise, it set him back about 5,000 Indian Rupees (roughly $54.00 USD).

His dinner? Kebab chicken and rice. Well, depending on where you live, that might seem rather costly. Showing his receipt, it turned out that he paid about 15 million Iranian Rials. That’s equivalent to about $11.35 USD. Anyway, The Umar thought it was expensive compared to India and Pakistan.

Final Verdict: Is it Safe?

Umar’s trip mostly backed up government warnings, and he was careful to avoid likely conflict zones. However, he really seemed to like the beauty of the landscapes and the towns. But at the same time, it seemed he’d probably breathe a lot easier once he crosses the border and gets out of there.

In time, he might go back one day, because he said near the end of his video that he plans a return “when the situation is good” so he can “explore every inch of Iran.”

Until then, potential brave or reckless travelers should maybe take note of his advice. He noted that there “will be no one to listen to [you], and no one to save [you]” if things go pear-shaped.

What are your thoughts about The Umar bike-tripping through Iran right now? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your travel news and updates.