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.
At least 30,000 displaced people have sought protection in shelters across Lebanon following an escalation in h...
The widening war between Iran, U.S. and Israel is leaving civilians and soldiers caught in its wake. Thousands of people are stranded across the Gu...
Azerbaijan's Astara border has become a key corridor for people wanting to leave Iran. More than 600 foreign nationals have been walking throug...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stori...
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
The U.S. military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in its retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East so far.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a full U.S. trade embargo on Spain on Tuesday after the European and NATO ally refused to let the U.S. military use its bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
At least 30,000 displaced people have sought protection in shelters across Lebanon following an escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday, and added that many more were expected to join them.
The widening war between Iran, U.S. and Israel is leaving civilians and soldiers caught in its wake. Thousands of people are stranded across the Gulf, flights are grounded, and Washington has confirmed the first American troops killed as fears grow of further casualties.
Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
The U.S. military's Central Command said on Tuesday that Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in its retaliatory attacks throughout the Middle East so far.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the country's gas exports to Europe and renewable energy development at the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council 12th Ministerial Meeting and Green Energy Advisory Council 4th Ministerial Meeting on Tuesday (3 March) in Baku.
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