Seoul, March 3 (IANS) Around 21,000 South Korean nationals are currently staying in the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, officials said on Tuesday.
Government officials are communicating through various channels to see whether South Koreans, including residents and short-term visitors, can be relocated to neighboring countries or be transported back home, they said.
“Approximately 21,000 South Korean nationals are staying in 13 Middle Eastern countries and about 4,000 short-term visitors are estimated to be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly in Dubai,” Rep. Kim Young-bae of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said in a press briefing following a meeting between government officials and DP lawmakers at the National Assembly, Yonhap news agency reported.
A total of 59 South Koreans, excluding embassy staff, remain in Iran, while another 616 nationals are currently residing in Israel.
“It is difficult to assess how long the situation will last so we are first identifying the number of travelers who require urgent measures,” he said. “We will review ways to relocate them to countries whose airspace remains open.”
Iran, Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have closed their airspace following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, according to Kim.
The United States and Israel launched a major joint military operation against Iran on Saturday in what both governments describe as pre-emptive strikes targeting Iranian leadership, nuclear and missile sites, and military infrastructure. While the US called the operation ‘Epic Fury’, Israel called it ‘Lion’s Roar’. The attacks began two days after US-Iran talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme ended without a deal. Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in the ongoing strikes, marking an extraordinary escalation. Iran has retaliated against US bases in several Gulf countries (including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE), and there are reports of civilian casualties.
–IANS
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