Foreign Nationals Escape Iran Through Azerbaijan Border
As tensions between Israel and Iran erupted into open conflict last week, more than 600 foreign nationals scrambled to escape Iran, fleeing north into Azerbaijan through a newly opened humanitarian corridor, Azerbaijani officials confirmed Tuesday.
The evacuees, hailing from 17 countries including the US, Russia, Germany, China, and several Central Asian nations, crossed the border at Astara and were transported by bus to the capital, Baku, where they caught flights out. Among those evacuated were 26 Chinese nationals, according to Azerbaijani state media. The Kremlin publicly thanked Azerbaijan for aiding its citizens. Armenia and Turkmenistan also facilitated the evacuation of their nationals, including 110 Indians and 120 Central Asians.
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The dramatic exodus follows Israel’s airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites last Friday, which triggered a barrage of missile and drone retaliation from Tehran. The fighting marks one of the most serious escalations between the two longtime adversaries in years.
Azerbaijan, which had kept its land borders shut since 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, temporarily reopened the Astara checkpoint to accommodate the emergency evacuations. The route from Tehran to Astara, which spans roughly 500 kilometers, became a critical escape path for those caught in the crossfire.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump urged residents of Tehran to evacuate, further reinforcing the sense that the situation in Iran’s capital could worsen. For hundreds of foreigners, that warning wasn’t taken lightly—they’re already gone.
