WELLINGTON, Jan 17 — New Zealand and Slovakia said Friday that they had temporarily closed their embassies in Tehran and flown out their diplomats due to worsening security in Iran.
The foreign ministry in Wellington said its diplomatic staff left Iran safely on commercial flights overnight, with the embassy’s operations moved to Ankara, Turkey.
Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said its decision was prompted by the “significant” deterioration in security and the “real threat of an escalation of the military conflict”.
“At the moment, all diplomats and employees of the Slovakian embassy in Tehran are safe and out of danger,” he said in a statement.
New Zealand advises against all travel to Iran and has urged any citizens in the country to leave immediately, as its ability to give consular help was “extremely limited”.
The foreign ministry has also urged New Zealanders in the country to contact their relatives when they can, because severe communications challenges were making it hard for people to get in touch with family and friends.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Thursday his country was “appalled” by Tehran’s violent reaction to huge anti-government protests.
“We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Iran’s security forces, including the killing of protesters,” Peters said in a statement.
“Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information -- and that right is currently being brutally repressed,” he said.
New Zealand had expressed its “serious concerns” directly to the Iranian embassy in Wellington, and would continue to do so, the minister said. — AFP
