Nations evacuate citizens as Israeli-provoked war on Iran escalates
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Countries worldwide are evacuating citizens from "Israel" and Iran amid airspace closures and as retaliatory Iranian missile strikes disrupt travel.
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Citizens of Poland and Austria assemble at a hotel in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, for evacuation amid heavy Iranian retaliatory strikes on "Israel, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 (AP)
Flights are being canceled and airspaces remain closed due to the escalating war in the Middle East, as countries around the world scramble to evacuate their citizens from "Israel" and Iran.
As hundreds of flights face cancellations or delays, with most European evacuees from "Israel" being transported by bus to Jordan or Egypt before boarding flights home, countries like China, India, and Pakistan have begun similar evacuation efforts in Iran.
China, India, Pakistan evacuate nationals
According to the state-run China News Service, China has evacuated nearly 800 nationals and begun transporting its citizens from Tehran to Turkmenistan by bus. A spokesperson for Beijing's Foreign Ministry stated that there have been no reports of Chinese casualties, with 791 nationals already relocated from Iran to safe areas and over 1,000 more currently in the process of being evacuated.
India’s Foreign Ministry stated that Indian students in Tehran have been evacuated from the city, with reports indicating around 110 have been relocated, while advising other residents with their means of transportation to also leave due to the escalating situation and confirming that some Indians have managed to exit Iran via the Armenian border.
Hundreds of Pakistani citizens residing in Iran began returning home through the Taftan border crossing on Wednesday, while Pakistani authorities kept the Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan crossings in southwest Balochistan province operational for returning nationals despite having closed other formal border points.
European nations, US evacuate 'Israel'
Bulgarian authorities reported the successful evacuation of 148 individuals: 89 Bulgarian citizens and 59 foreign nationals from "Israel" on Wednesday, with the Foreign Ministry explaining that after the group was transported by road from "Israel" to Egypt, a chartered flight was arranged to complete their journey.
The UK Foreign Office announced that families of British diplomatic staff in "Israel" have been temporarily withdrawn, while reiterating its existing travel advisory against all non-essential trips to "Israel" and urging British nationals currently in the occupied territories to register with the embassy. The UK government said earlier this week it wouldn't organize evacuations for British citizens in "Israel", but was providing more help in Jordan and Egypt for those leaving by land.
Germany has instructed its citizens to arrange their travel to Amman for charter flights to Frankfurt, with the Foreign Ministry reporting that approximately 4,000 Germans in "Israel" and 1,000 in Iran have registered on the emergency contact list.
Cyprus, as the EU nation geographically nearest to the Middle East, has implemented its Estia evacuation plan to help citizens from neighboring countries, which was last activated during the Israeli war on Lebanon in October.
Poland has relocated 200 of its citizens from "Israel" and Jordan while transferring diplomatic staff from Iran to Baku, Azerbaijan, with Deputy Foreign Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys explaining that the government chose to evacuate non-essential personnel who were not required to stay in the country.
“Our colleagues will try to reach the border with Azerbaijan,” she added, without specifying the exact number of people involved.
US Ambassador to "Israel" Mike Huckabee announced that the embassy is currently organizing both evacuation flights and cruise ship options for American citizens seeking to depart "Israel" during the current tensions with Iran, while also sharing a Twitter link encouraging travelers to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for real-time updates.
Bordering nations assist evacuation efforts
According to Reuters, over 600 evacuees from 17 countries departed Iran for Azerbaijan from Friday through Tuesday, with the overland journey from Tehran to Azerbaijan taking approximately eight hours and the route to the Armenian border requiring more than 10 hours of travel time.
An Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson reported that over 1,200 citizens from 51 countries had sought authorization to cross from Iran into Azerbaijan, while the Kremlin expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for facilitating the evacuation of Russian nationals from Iran.
Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, noted that numerous Iranian citizens previously staying in Turkey and Russia have re-entered Iran through Armenia, while emphasizing that authorities are working to assist more citizens in returning home despite widespread flight disruptions.
Israeli settlers secretly flee 'Israel' through Yachts to Cyprus
An increasing number of Israeli settlers are fleeing the occupied Palestinian territories by yacht, heading toward Cyprus to escape ongoing Iranian missile strikes under Operation True Promise 3, according to a June 17 Haaretz report.
Haaretz reported that these departures are happening "secretly, without oversight, and at a cost of thousands of dollars," with many settlers stating they feel they have "no other choice."
The Herzliya marina has essentially become a makeshift departure hub in recent days, while yacht owners in Haifa and Ashkelon have started transporting groups of settlers in privately coordinated evacuations, with vessels carrying up to 10 passengers each in these improvised escape operations.
As demand for escape routes has skyrocketed, Haaretz documented settlers reporting sharply inflated prices, with one paying 2,500 shekels (about $670) and another quoted 6,000 shekels (roughly $1,600) per person, while a yacht operator defended the rates by stating that pricing simply reflects basic economic principles of supply meeting desperate demand.
