Ukraine Issues Evacuation Warning for Citizens in Iran

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a notice on Thursday advising citizens to leave Iran due to deteriorating security.

The notice came as protests erupted across Iran, starting Dec. 28 when shopkeepers in the capital, Tehran, staged a strike over high prices and economic stagnation. It has since grown into a nationwide movement with political demands.

In an official statement, Ukraine’s foreign ministry advised its citizens to leave via three available checkpoints due to the “worsening security situation.”

“Due to the worsening security situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine recommends that Ukrainian citizens leave the territory of Iran,” the statement says.

“Currently, exit from the country is possible through the following checkpoints: Imam Khomeini International Airport (Tehran); Border crossing point on the border with Armenia – Norduz/Agarak; The border crossing point on the border with Turkey is Bazorgan/Serow,” it adds.

The ministry also advises refraining from confrontations with local authorities.

“In this case, we ask you to follow the instructions of local authorities, not to enter into conflicts with police representatives, and to remain calm,” the statement says.

“In the event of changes in the situation or the opening of additional exit routes from the country, the information will be updated promptly,” it adds.

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Iran has seen multiple nationwide protest waves in recent years, most notably in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody, which was linked to alleged violations of the country’s Islamic dress code for women.

While Tehran and Kyiv had maintained past economic and cultural ties, relations between the two had been mostly shaky over the past decade.

After Ukraine’s 1991 independence, it became a destination for international students, including several thousand from Iran enrolled in Ukrainian universities before 2022. The two had also maintained bilateral economic ties, with Ukraine exporting agricultural and industrial goods to Iran, while importing oil products and pharmaceuticals. Several Iranian companies, such as Ekofera LLC, previously operated in Ukraine.

But in January 2020, the relations deteriorated when Iran downed a Ukrainian airliner over Tehran, killing all passengers onboard. The relations plummeted after Iran began supplying Russia with weapons used in the latter’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – including the Shahed drones frequently used against Ukrainian civilians.

In 2023, Ukraine imposed a carpet sanction barring all bilateral trade and technology exchange with Iran – including transits for Iranian citizens via Ukrainian territories – for 50 years.