ONLY 13 Malaysians, including five students, remain in Iran amid escalating tensions in the region, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed.
He said the remaining individuals comprise six Malaysians who reside in Iran, one who is employed there, and another who is visiting as a tourist. Additionally, a permanent resident of Malaysia who holds Iranian citizenship has chosen to remain in the country.
“Three Malaysians who had initially agreed to be evacuated changed their minds at the last minute and opted to stay in Iran,” he said, as quoted by Berita Harian.
A total of 24 individuals successfully crossed into Turkmenistan via the land border at 9.20pm local time yesterday. Of these, 17 were Malaysians, including nine home-based staff (HBS) from the embassy and their eight family members.
“The group also included six Iranian nationals – five of whom are dependents of Malaysians and one who holds Malaysian permanent residency. One Singaporean national was also evacuated as part of the mission,” said Mohamad.
The evacuees travelled to Ashgabat International Airport and were scheduled to board flight T5-647 to Bangkok at 4.20am local time today.
“They are expected to arrive in Bangkok at 1.05pm (local time) before continuing their journey to Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines flight MH781 at 7.40pm, with an estimated arrival at KLIA at 10.50pm,” he added.
The evacuation followed Israel’s large-scale aerial assault on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and a residential building in the city of Qom – a retaliatory strike after Iran launched missiles at Israel hours earlier. - June 22, 2025
Malaysia, Iran, evacuation, Foreign Ministry, Mohamad Hasan, conflict, Middle East, Malaysians abroad
