Spanish Air Force has already evacuated nearly 600 Spaniards in three missions since the conflict in the Middle East

Eduardo González An Air Force plane took off this Monday from Oman bound for Torrejón Air Base with 251 people who will be repatriated to Spain, as reported by the Ministry of Defense via social media. This is the third evacuation of Spaniards by the Armed Forces since the outbreak of the regional conflict in the Middle East, which began with the US-Israeli offensive on February 28 against Iran, which included the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and escalated with retaliatory attacks by the Islamic Republic against a dozen Persian Gulf countries. In the two previous missions, completed last week, nearly 350 Spaniards were evacuated: 175 on the first flight and 171 on the second. For its part, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has informed the Saudi Arabian Embassy that this Tuesday, the 10th, it will charter a plane with limited seats for Spanish residents and those traveling through Saudi Arabia. The plane, which will primarily transport people working in the sports sector, will depart from Riyadh at 1:45 PM bound for Madrid, with a stopover in Hurghada, Egypt. Priority will be given to vulnerable individuals. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke this Monday with the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Mohammed bin Zayed. “The Emirati people and the Spaniards there have our full support in these difficult times,” the Prime Minister posted on social media. “We condemn the attacks that have caused casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure in the country. Spain continues to work tirelessly to defend regional stability and international law,” he added. Separately, the Ministry of Defense has also stated on social media that it maintains “direct and constant contact” with Spanish military personnel deployed on peacekeeping missions, “especially with the contingents in Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey.” “The protocols that guarantee their safety remain in place, and they, as always, are doing exceptional work,” it added. Closure of the Embassy in Iran Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has closed the Spanish Embassy in Tehran and has advised Spaniards in Iran to remain in their homes “trying to minimize their movements.” 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.

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