Azerbaijan's Astara border has become a key corridor for people wanting to leave Iran. More than 600 foreign nationals have been walking through the frontier this week amid the war in the Middle East.
AnewZ's Gulchin Khojalyova was at the crossing, where evacuation operations between Iran and Azerbaijan are continuing around the clock as foreign nationals flee amid escalating regional tensions.
She said that the largest groups include more than 150 Chinese nationals, 130 Russian citizens, 70 Pakistanis and 60 Tajik nationals, alongside smaller contingents from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Georgia, Kazakhstan, France, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Italy, Poland, Tunisia, Lebanon, India and Brazil.
Diplomatic personnel have also been evacuated. A six-member Slovak team passed safely through the checkpoint, and Serbia’s ambassador to Iran, Amir Kovacevic, was transferred following strikes affecting diplomatic facilities.
Coordinated humanitarian and logistical efforts ensured safe passage, documentation checks and onward transportation for all evacuees.
Khojalyova described the checkpoint as a “critical land route for foreign nationals amid restricted regional airspace,” highlighting the operation’s scale and urgency.
Russia’s embassy in Baku confirmed that 39 Russian citizens have already been evacuated from Iran, with roughly 500 more awaiting departure. Moscow has advised its nationals in Iran to leave via Armenia or Azerbaijan.
The UK government has issued guidance for British nationals seeking to cross into Azerbaijan overland, stating that entry may be possible with special authorisation coordinated through the embassy.
With a 689-kilometre shared border, Iran and Azerbaijan continue to rely on Astara as a functioning corridor for evacuations for taking people to safety, with authorities ensuring that humanitarian and logistical support remains in place as further crossings are expected in the coming days.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 20 others injured after an 11-year-old boy driving his parents' pickup truck ploughed into a religious procession in north-eastern Thailand, police said.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Georgia’s only oil refinery will stop using Russian crude oil by September to preserve access to Western markets, its operator has said.
Iran has begun talks with Japan about selling oil to Japanese companies, according to Iranian and Western sources. The discussions come less than a month after the U.S. eased decades-old sanctions on Iranian oil as part of efforts to secure a final peace deal with Tehran.
At least 40 people were killed after a passenger bus plunged off a highway into a ravine in southwestern Pakistan, officials said on Friday (3 July).
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