Over 600 Foreign Nationals Evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan Amid Israel-Iran Strikes
More than 600 foreign nationals from 17 countries have fled Iran into neighboring Azerbaijan since Israel launched airstrikes on Iran last Friday, a government official in Baku confirmed Tuesday.
The evacuees crossed through the Astara border checkpoint along the Caspian Sea coast and were transported to Baku’s airport for onward international flights home, the official told AFP.
Among those evacuated are citizens from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Portugal, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Vietnam.
Azerbaijan had closed its land borders since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but temporarily reopened them to facilitate the evacuation of foreign nationals fleeing escalating conflict in Iran.
Similarly, Turkmenistan, known for its strict border controls, has allowed around 120 evacuees—primarily Central Asian citizens—to transit through its territory.
Israel initiated an unprecedented aerial campaign against Iranian military and nuclear sites, citing efforts to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons—an accusation Iran vehemently denies.
The ongoing strikes have reportedly killed at least 224 people and wounded over 1,000 in Iran, according to official figures released Sunday. In retaliation, Iran’s missile attacks on Israel have resulted in at least 24 deaths, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office reported.
This mass evacuation underscores growing regional instability as tensions between Israel and Iran intensify, prompting neighboring countries to respond swiftly to the humanitarian and security challenges posed by the conflict.
