Chinese citizens in Iran are leaving the country in large numbers, as the situation continues to escalate between the US and Iran.
The first group of 25 Chinese citizens evacuated to Turkmenistan and flew to China early on the morning of March 4th local time.
The evacuees entered Turkmenistan through the Sarakhs border point on Mar 3rd afternoon. And then left by bus arranged by the Chinese Embassy in Turkmenistan.
The majority of Chinese citizens in Iran have evacuated from the country. The Chinese Embassy in Iran will organise follow-up evacuations.
The Iran Federation of Chinese Organisations is currently the only local overseas Chinese organisation in Iran with the capacity to organise the evacuation of Chinese nationals.
However, reports show that about 200 Chinese citizens remain in Tabriz and Qom, who, due to work arrangements or personal choice, have decided not to leave for the time being.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, a Chinese citizen lost his life in the military conflict.
Tan Kai, president of the organisation, said they have arranged five batches of evacuations, totalling around 400 people. “Since the situation in Iran became more complicated at the end of last year, more than 3,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated cumulatively,” Tan said.
Departure options from Iran are limited
Tehran has served as the assembly point for the evacuation of Chinese nationals. Evacuees travelled by bus to reach the Astara land border crossing in northern Iran, entering Azerbaijan. After entering Azerbaijan, the Chinese Embassy and local Chinese organisations are responsible for subsequent arrangements. “The vast majority of our compatriots choose to fly back to China after entering Azerbaijan,” Tan Kai said.
After the U.S. and Israel began military strikes on February 28th, Iran shut its airspace and stopped all civilian flights. At present, only several land border crossings allow people to leave Iran.
The Astara crossing in northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea, offers relatively good road conditions from Tehran and passes through areas with fewer military facilities, making it comparatively safer.
The military conflict among the US, Israel and Iran has now entered its fifth day. The US and Israel launched a new round of airstrikes on Tehran, with multiple explosions heard across the city.
Written by Sha Liu, additional reporting by Xinhua, Global Times and Ecns.cn.
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