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Approximately 700 Latvian citizens have left the Middle East region, according to estimates from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These individuals had registered with the Consular Registry and requested assistance from the ministry as tensions escalated in the region.
Many of those who sought to depart have already done so, utilizing airBaltic flights and repatriation services organized by other European Union member states. Others have made arrangements for their return independently.
While not all individuals registered with the Consular Registry intend to leave their current countries of residence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that the majority of those wishing to leave the crisis-affected areas of the Middle East have now been able to do so. The ministry has also observed a gradual improvement in the availability of commercial flights.
Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not plan to organize additional repatriation flights, as other EU countries are also concluding their repatriation efforts. Going forward, assistance to Latvian citizens will be provided on an individual basis.
The situation follows a period of heightened conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran. Iran subsequently responded with missile and drone strikes targeting countries in the Middle East hosting U.S. Military facilities.
On Friday, Israel conducted airstrikes against Iranian targets in Tehran and positions belonging to the Hezbollah militant group in Beirut. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the U.S. Would soon significantly increase its strikes against Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that, should Iran capitulate, the U.S. And its allies would work to make Iran “economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.” However, he added that this would depend on a new Iranian leadership deemed acceptable by the United States. Trump also expressed a desire to “make Iran great again.”
