Hundreds of Chinese citizens evacuated from Iran as fighting with Israel continues
The foreign ministry in Beijing said efforts were continuing to get Chinese nationals out of the two countries
Hundreds of Chinese nationals have been evacuated from Iran while work is continuing to remove more than a thousand others amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
“As of now, under the organisation and coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese embassy and consulates in Iran, and with the active assistance and support of neighbouring countries, 791 Chinese citizens have been relocated from Iran to safe areas, while over 1,000 more are in the process of being evacuated,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.
Guo said some Chinese citizens have also been evacuated from Israel without giving a number. He added that there had been no reports that any Chinese nationals had been killed or injured in the fighting, which started on Friday with a series of Israeli strikes on targets in Iran.
On Tuesday the embassies in both countries urged Chinese nationals to leave by land. Both Israel and Iran have closed their airspace until further notice.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, citing sources from the Iranian health ministry, Israeli strikes have caused 585 deaths and 1,326 injuries.
Meanwhile, Israel’s emergency services reported that Iranian attacks have killed 24 people and injured more than 1,300.