China, South Korea evacuate hundreds of nationals from Middle East

ISTANBUL

Several Asian countries, including China and South Korea, have evacuated hundreds of their nationals from the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region after the US and Israel attacked Iran, state-run Xinhua News reported Saturday.

More than 260 Chinese have crossed into Azerbaijan through an evacuation plan coordinated by the Embassy of China in Iran.

While South Korea has been assisting its nationals across the region, as 65 nationals in Qatar were transferred to Saudi Arabia, 41 travelers departed Jordan via commercial flights with the support from embassy staff in Amman. Others were relocated from Kuwait, Bahrain, Israel, and Iraq to neighboring countries.

Seoul plans a 290-seat charter flight operated by Etihad Airways that will depart Abu Dhabi to bring home citizens on Sunday who are stranded in the United Arab Emirates, according to Yonap News, citing a Foreign Ministry statement. About 3,000 South Koreans are stranded in the UAE due to flights disruptions.

At the same time, Australia has urged its citizens in the region to leave on available commercial flights as tensions continue to rise.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack Saturday against Iran, killing more than 1,000 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls and senior military officials.

Iran has retaliated with sweeping barrages that have targeted US bases, diplomatic facilities, and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities.

The attacks have continued to escalate.