Evacuations Intensify Amid Ongoing Israel-Iran Conflict

The evacuation of Bulgarian citizens from Israel commenced on June 18, 2025, with many foreign nationals from various countries, including Slovenia and the U.S., also being extracted. Concurrently, China is actively relocating its citizens from both Iran and Israel in light of the increasing tensions between these two nations. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that 791 citizens have already been taken to safety in Iran, while over 1,000 more are in the process of being evacuated, with some having returned home from Israel.

To assist its nationals, Chinese embassies in neighboring countries like Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have deployed teams to ensure safe passage to border crossing points, as well as provide support for further travel arrangements back to China. The Ministry expressed appreciation for the cooperation from other countries in facilitating these evacuations and confirmed that there have been no reported casualties among the Chinese citizens involved.

Meanwhile, the European Union reported aiding around 400 of its member state's citizens in leaving Israel through Jordan and Egypt. As tensions escalate, Israeli airstrikes continue to strike various military targets in Iran’s capital, Tehran, leading to severe retaliation from Iran. In a public address, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed U.S. demands for surrender, warning of dire consequences should U.S. military involvement in the conflict escalate.

President Donald Trump echoed strong language against Iran on social media, indicating that the U.S. knows the location of Iranian leadership and demanding their unconditional surrender. Amidst the conflict's ongoing violence, which has resulted in hundreds of casualties on both sides, Israel has taken significant military actions against Iranian nuclear facilities. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu asserted that such operations have considerably hindered Iran's nuclear program, while former International Atomic Energy Agency leader Mohamed ElBaradei cautioned that this aggression could jeopardize global non-proliferation treaties.