Foreign Ministry has closed Spanish Embassy in Tehran following the departure of the ambassador and all staff

Eduardo González The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has closed the Spanish Embassy in Tehran and advised Spaniards in Iran to remain in their homes, “minimizing their movements as much as possible.” According to sources at the Foreign Ministry, Minister José Manuel Albares held a videoconference meeting on Monday with Spain's ambassadors in the Middle East, with whom he discussed, among other issues, “the deteriorating situation in Lebanon and Iraq, the closure of the embassy in Tehran, and the upcoming evacuation operations.” He also conveyed to the ambassadors “his gratitude for the efforts made under particularly complex circumstances to assist and evacuate Spanish citizens in the region.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday, in its section on “travel recommendations,” that the Spanish Embassy in Iran “has temporarily closed to the public and suspended its activities in the country until security conditions allow for its reopening.” The closure took place this past Saturday, when Albares himself reported via social media that all members of the Spanish Embassy in Iran had been “successfully” evacuated. Both the ambassador, Antonio Sánchez-Benedito, and the essential staff who remained in Tehran had crossed the border into Azerbaijan and were “safe.” The Ministry also advised Spaniards in Iran to remain in their homes “trying to minimize their movements” and that the airspace is currently closed. Land borders remain open with Armenia and Azerbaijan, whose airspace is open, offering options for leaving the region as it becomes possible to do so safely. It also advised Spaniards in Iran to remain at home “trying to minimize their movements” and that the airspace is currently closed. Land borders remain open with Armenia and Azerbaijan, whose airspace is open, offering options to leave the region as it becomes possible to do so safely. For emergency situations, you can contact the Consular Emergency Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (unidaddecrisis@maec.es/+34 913948900). The remaining embassies in the region and the Ministry's crisis center "remain fully operational 24 hours a day through emergency phone lines," according to Albares. According to sources at the Ministry and confirmed by Albares, more than 4,000 Spaniards have already been repatriated since the regional conflict erupted, which began with the US and Israeli offensive on February 28 against Iran, which included the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and intensified with the Islamic Republic's retaliatory attacks against a dozen countries in the Persian Gulf and the rest of the region. Furthermore, Albares spoke by telephone this Monday with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, to convey his “solidarity and support for his country in the face of the attacks, which we condemn.” “Spain demands an end to the violence and a de-escalation. International law must be respected. We must return to dialogue and diplomacy,” he wrote on social media.

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