The decisions were made in the context of domestic instability in Iran, causing many countries to re-evaluate the level of safety for diplomatic staff.
The UK is the first country to announce the temporary closure of its embassy in Iran. The British government said that the diplomatic service will operate remotely and travel recommendations have been updated to suit the new situation. The British Ambassador and all consular staff have been evacuated based on security assessments and priority safety assurances.
New Zealand and Slovakia have announced the closure of their embassies in Tehran and are evacuating all diplomats. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that staff have left Iran safely by commercial flights, while diplomatic activities have been transferred to Ankara, Turkey. The New Zealand government also advised citizens not to go to Iran and called on those present here to leave immediately, due to severely limited consular assistance capacity. Slovak Foreign Minister - Mr. Juraj Blanar - confirmed that all embassy staff in Tehran are safe.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Iran also issued a notice of temporary suspension of operations, stating that it would update information related to the resumption of diplomatic work and further measures when conditions permit.
Portugal said it has temporarily closed its embassy in Iran and contacted all citizens of this country living here. According to the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 citizens have left Iranian territory, some are completing procedures to leave, while 10 people, including 7 with dual Portuguese-Iranian nationalities, want to stay.
The above measures were taken in the context of Iran experiencing a wave of protests originating from economic dissatisfaction and the rial devaluation, then spreading and clashes with security forces. Although protests showed signs of easing, Iranian officials accused Israel and the US of inciting riots, while Washington rejected and said Tehran was distracting public opinion.
