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Australian citizens are starting to be flown out of Iran but escape options remain limited amid fears of more Israeli attacks.
Five Australians have left Iran on a commercial flight from Mashhad, in the nation’s north-east, for Dubai with the Australian government’s assistance.
Limited flights out of eastern Iran are opening up, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade contacting hundreds of registered travellers to alert them about seats as they become available.
Over 3,000 Australians seeking to depart Iran have registered with the department for help, and relatives in Australia are worried that crossing the border into Azerbaijan is impractical for those who are vulnerable.
More than 50 Australians have successfully crossed the border and been met by Australian officials, while more than 150 have received border codes for Azerbaijan.
A backlog of Australian requests for Azerbaijan border crossing codes was cleared after representations by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and consular officials.
The department is advising Australians in Iran to leave now, if it’s safe to do so, noting that although the ceasefire is holding for now, the situation remains volatile and can change quickly.
The department’s ability to provide consular assistance is extremely limited, given the environment in Iran is much more challenging than in Israel.
Travellers are advised to regularly check the government’s Smartraveller website for updates.
A ceasefire was reached after 12 days of conflict, which erupted on 13 June when Israel launched missiles at Iranian military and nuclear sites.
It came a day after the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.
