ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have evacuated 650 nationals, mostly students, from Iran over the past two days, Pakistan’s ambassador to Tehran said on Monday. The move comes amid rising regional tensions after coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The strikes, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks on US military bases in Gulf states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan. Saudi Arabia reported Iranian attacks targeting Riyadh and its Eastern Province.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level security meeting on Saturday. He directed authorities to ensure safe evacuation of Pakistani nationals through Azerbaijan.
Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, said more than 3,000 Pakistani students are currently enrolled in medical and non-medical institutions across Iran. “In the last two days, about 650 of our nationals have been evacuated, most of whom were students,” he said in a post on X.
Tipu added that authorities are guiding and facilitating every Pakistani national seeking advice amid a complex security environment. Pakistan’s embassy in Azerbaijan said Baku has been designated as an evacuation base for nationals seeking safe transit.
Tipu thanked Iranian and Azerbaijani border authorities for cooperation in what he called a “complex and multi-tiered operation.”
Violent protests erupted in Pakistan on Sunday following Khamenei’s killing. At least 17 people were reported killed and more than 70 injured in clashes in Karachi and Skardu. Authorities urged calm amid the deteriorating situation in Iran.
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The latest developments have heightened fears of wider instability in the already volatile Middle East.
