Azerbaijan serves as gateway for foreign citizens fleeing Iran PHOTO/UPDATED

Citizens from Russia, Belarus, Spain, and several other countries have been transported in small groups through Azerbaijan’s Astara state border crossing.

Russian nationals constitute the majority of those evacuated, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Authorities at the Astara checkpoint have reported a growing influx of evacuees throughout the day. Buses are deployed to transfer the evacuees from the border to the airport for onward repatriation to their home countries. The border crossing is currently operating 24/7 to accommodate the continuous arrival of foreign nationals seeking safe passage out of Iran.

This evacuation effort follows earlier crossings by citizens from Portugal, the Philippines, and Finland, who were also escorted across the Azerbaijani border. 

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A group of Belarusian nationals, including children, has crossed the checkpoint at Azerbaijan’s state border. 

Evacuation operations to facilitate the safe passage of individuals wishing to return to their home countries via Azerbaijani territory have been actively underway throughout the day, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Authorities continue to coordinate efforts to assist those seeking evacuation amid ongoing regional developments.

On June 13, the military operation launched by Israel against key components of Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure has escalated to a much harsher level. The objective remains the complete elimination of the Islamic Republic’s capability to develop nuclear weapons.

According to the latest data, the Israeli Air Force has struck more than a hundred targets, deploying approximately 200 combat aircraft and over 330 precision-guided munitions, according to official figures. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) emphasises that this is a large-scale, coordinated operation targeting both military facilities and the nuclear programme infrastructure across the entire territory of Iran.

By Naila Huseynova