Hundreds of people are continuing to evacuate from Iran into neighbouring Azerbaijan, after Baku announced it has opened its Astara border crossing to allow its citizens and foreign nationals to flee the escalating violence.
Azerbaijan’s government said it had received and hosted nationals from more than 19 countries over the last few days. Authorities at the country’s southernmost city are processing hundreds of people every day in an effort to offer people affected by the war safe passage back to their home countries.
“We were in Tehran. It was 7 hours to the border, and we waited until they gave us the visa. Thank you very much for the hospitality. We were received very well, (they are) very hospitable people,” said Gulsiber Alamkhonzoda, a Tajikistani citizen speaking to Euronews.
The Azerbaijani initiative is allowing Iranian nationals to seek safer alternatives and reunite with their families elsewhere.
“I was in Tehran the first day. I was in Tehran but just come to the Gilan, the city close to here,” said Masood. “My family is living in Australia, actually. That's why I'm just leaving from here, head to Istanbul, and then to Australia.”
Many believe that while the situation in Iran is not yet catastrophic, it is rapidly worsening day after day.
“So far not as worse as we can imagine but it's going to be worse and worse every day. I don't know what's happening,” added Masood.
Many Pakistani nationals residing in Iran have also travelled north to Azerbaijan’s border seeking refuge and repatriation. Pakistani diplomats in Tehran were also among those who made the journey.
“The situation is fluid. It is moving very fast. It's difficult to predict exactly. But for the safety of family,” said Ismat Hassan Sial, Deputy head of mission at the Pakistani embassy in Tehran.
“For the safety of our citizens, our government has decided to move some people out of Tehran. I, on account of being an officer but also being a mother, was evacuated. So I am moving to Azerbaijan,” she continued.
Many Europeans were also given safe passage into Azerbaijan. Serbian and Slovak diplomats were among the latest to transit into the Central Asian country.
Evacuations are also being discussed at the bilateral level. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said he had a phone call with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in recent days to discuss efforts to evacuate European nationals from Iran amid the ongoing crisis.
