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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