Several countries have issued travel warnings for Israel and Iran and urged their citizens to return home, given the war between the two countries. But Iran has closed its airspace and Israel has closed itsmain airport and its airspace to civilian traffic, along with its ports. That has left few options — namely, land crossings or government airlifts — for foreigners to leave.
Here is a look at what some countries have said:
United States — The U.S. Embassy in Israel said it was not in a position to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing the country. That came as the State Department this week raised its travel advisory for Israel to Level 4, “Do Not Travel” — its highest level, signaling extreme risk — after authorizing the voluntary departure of family members and nonemergency U.S. government employees. In March, the State Department warned U.S. citizens not to travel to Iran.
China — Beijing has started to evacuate its nationals in Israel and Iran to neighboring countries, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The spokesman, Guo Jiakun, told a news briefing that Chinese embassies and consulates have activated “emergency consular protection mechanisms” and demanded both Iran and Israel “ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions.” On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv urged its citizens to leave Israel via land border crossings to Jordan.
South Korea — The foreign ministry on Tuesday urged its nationals to leave Iran. South Korea’s government had earlier encouraged citizens to cancel or postpone trips to Israel and parts of Iran.
Britain — The foreign secretary, David Lammy, told Parliament on Monday that British nationals in Israel should register with the British Foreign Office to receive “important information on the situation and leaving the country.” Britain’s government has advised its citizens to avoid travel to Israel and the occupied territories, telling nationals there to follow local guidance. It also has advised against travel to Iran and said it can provide limited consular assistance.
Russia — The country’s ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, on Monday advised Russian nationals to leave until the situation normalizes, according to the state news agency, Tass. Moscow said over the weekend that it had evacuated several citizens from Iran and halted activity at its consulate in Tehran.
Australia — The government has advised against travel to Israel and the occupied territories. “Terror attacks can occur anywhere at any time, including by lone actors,” it said in an advisory, urging citizens to follow the guidance of local authorities and be alert. Australians should not travel to Iran and those already there should shelter in place, the government said.
Canada — On Monday, the government warned its citizens to avoid all travel to Israel and issued a similar warning for Iran.
India — The country’s embassy in Iran has urged its citizens there to avoid unnecessary travel within the country. On Sunday, the Indian embassy in Israel told citizens to stay vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel.
Japan — Citizens were advised by the foreign ministry on Friday to avoid travel to the Iranian capital, Tehran, as well as to the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Around 380 Japanese citizens have notified the embassy in Iran of their presence and around 1,000 did the same in Israel, Japanese media reported on Monday.
Matthew Mpoke Bigg is a London-based reporter on the Live team at The Times, which covers breaking and developing news.
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