Flights out: Nations rush to evacuate citizens from the Middle East
Amid the escalating situation in the Middle East and restrictions in regional airspace, dozens of countries have begun organizing the evacuation of their citizens from the region, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Kazakhstan
A total of 946 Kazakh citizens have been repatriated from the Middle Eastern countries. In addition, more than 500 Kazakh nationals are expected to be repatriated from Oman, while 343 people are scheduled to be evacuated from Saudi Arabia. Another 34 Kazakh citizens were evacuated from Iran via Armenia with the assistance of diplomatic missions.
Kyrgyzstan
According to the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry, around 22,000 Kyrgyz citizens are currently in Middle Eastern countries, including about 10,000 in the United Arab Emirates and roughly 6,000 pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. A total of 1,100 people have expressed their desire to leave the region. Special flights with a capacity of about 180 seats each are being arranged via Oman.
Uzbekistan
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has instructed authorities to organize evacuation flights from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. The first group of 240 citizens has already returned home. At the same time, more than 1,000 Uzbek nationals are currently in Saudi Arabia performing Umrah.
Editor's note: Umrah, the minor pilgrimage to Mecca, is a recommended act in Islam believed to bring spiritual purification and can be performed at any time of the year.
Russia
According to Xinhua, around 1,500 Russian citizens have already returned home, while about 2,000 others were awaiting departure. More than 100,000 Russian nationals remain in countries across the region, nearly half of them in the UAE.
United Kingdom
According to Anadolu, more than 130,000 citizens have registered for assistance in leaving the region, including around 112,000 in the UAE. Authorities are organizing charter flights from Muscat and are considering additional evacuation routes.
China
China has also organized the evacuation of its citizens from Iran. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, more than 470 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from the country with the assistance of diplomatic missions.
India
Media reports indicate that about 1,200 Indian students remain in Iran awaiting possible evacuation. Most of them study at the country’s medical universities, with a significant number coming from the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron said that around 400,000 French citizens are currently in the Middle East. Authorities have stated they are prepared to organize the repatriation of all those wishing to return, starting with the most vulnerable.
Australia
According to the Australian government, about 115,000 Australians are currently in countries across the region, including the Gulf states. Authorities have deployed crisis teams and are considering the use of military aircraft to assist citizens.
Italy
Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the organization of two special commercial flights from Oman to Rome capable of evacuating around 300 people. In addition, a separate flight from Abu Dhabi is being prepared for approximately 200 people, including students from the World Students' Connection organization in Dubai.
United States
According to a post by U.S. President Donald Trump on Truth Social, more than 9,000 Americans have safely returned home from the Middle East.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the escalation in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran had triggered sharp volatility in global energy markets, pushing oil and gas prices higher and disrupting major trade routes.
