Foreign nationals evacuated via Azerbaijan as Iran war rages on

Several foreign nationals were evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan on March 17 as hostilities in the region continue to drive emergency movements across borders.

Between 10:00 and 12:00, nine Chinese and six Indian citizens crossed into Azerbaijan through the Astara state border crossing point. Earlier in the day, between 00:00 and 10:00, one Azerbaijani citizen and three Norwegian diplomats were also evacuated via the same route, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The latest crossings bring the total number of Chinese nationals evacuated to Azerbaijan since February 28 to 695, while the number of Indian nationals stands at 11.

The evacuations come amid a widening conflict following military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. The strikes resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials.

In the aftermath, Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes against targets it identified in multiple countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq and Cyprus, as well as Israel, where U.S. and allied military bases are located.

By Sabina Mammadli