BAKU, June 17, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - More than 700 foreign nationals have crossed 
from Iran into neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia since Israel began 
striking the country last week, government officials in Baku and Yerevan said 
Tuesday.

The Caucasus countries border Iran's northwest, with the closest crossing 
into Azerbaijan around 500 kilometres (310 miles) from Tehran by road.

"Since the start of the military escalation between Israel and Iran, more 
than 600 citizens of 17 countries have been evacuated from Iran via 
Azerbaijan," a government source told AFP on Tuesday.

The evacuees, who crossed the border via the Astara checkpoint on the Caspian 
Sea coast, are being transported to Baku airport and "flown to their home 
countries on international flights", the source said.

Among those evacuated are citizens of post-Soviet countries Russia, Belarus, 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, as well as Germany, Spain, 
Italy, Serbia, Romania, Portugal, the United States, the United Arab 
Emirates, China and Vietnam.

Azerbaijan shut its land borders in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and has 
kept them closed ever since.

"In light of the evacuation need, Azerbaijan has temporarily opened its 
border for those leaving Iran," the official said.

India also evacuated 110 of its citizens from Iran through Armenia, Ani 
Badalyan, Yerevan's foreign ministry spokeswoman, told journalists.

Poland's foreign ministry said it would evacuate part of its embassy staff in 
Tehran via Baku.

"We have decided to evacuate or support the departure of staff who do not 
need to remain in the country, so-called non-essential personnel," Deputy 
Foreign Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys told reporters.

"Our colleagues will try to reach the border with Azerbaijan," she said, 
without specifying how many people were involved.

Turkmenistan -- one of the world's most closed-off countries -- said it had 
also allowed the transit of around 120 people evacuated from Iran through its 
territory, mainly citizens of Central Asian countries.

Israel has launched unprecedented strikes on Iran since Friday, saying it 
aims to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon - a goal Iran denies 
pursuing.

The Israeli attacks have killed at least 224 people and wounded more than 
1,000, according to an official toll released Sunday.

In retaliation, Iran has carried out multiple attacks that have killed at 
least 24 people in Israel since Friday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu's office.