Baku, Azerbaijan. Approximately 500 Russian nationals are preparing to evacuate Iran through Azerbaijan, the Russian embassy in Baku said on Sunday. The embassy said evacuees are being assisted at the Astara border checkpoint.
Evacuation through Astara border checkpoint
The embassy expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani authorities for facilitating the process and promptly issuing the necessary border-crossing permits. It said evacuees are currently being assisted at the Astara border checkpoint as they leave Iranian territory.
Foreign Ministry advisory and strikes
The evacuation follows a formal recommendation from the Russian Foreign Ministry urging citizens to move to safe regions within Israel and Iran or to leave both countries entirely. The advisory was issued after a wave of military strikes by the United States and Israel targeted Iranian military infrastructure and leadership.
Russian response and flight suspensions
On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as a “premeditated and unprovoked act of armed aggression.” Russian civil aviation authorities have also suspended all commercial flights to Iran and Israel until further notice.
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