ZAGREB, 18 June (Hina) – Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman announced on Wednesday the evacuation of Croatian diplomats from Israel and Iran.
“Given that other countries are also evacuating their diplomats and missions from Tehran, it has been decided that we too will evacuate our ambassador and embassy staff from Tehran via secure border crossings used by other diplomats as well. A similar evacuation will also be carried out for the embassy staff in Tel Aviv, the minister told reporters.
When asked when the evacuation from Tel Aviv would begin, he said the ministry is in constant contact with the ambassador and staff.
“You have seen what happened to our colleague in his residential building, where his flat was completely destroyed. Just three metres away from him, that terrible explosion occurred. It’s generally a miracle that he survived such a devastating blast,” he said, referring to Croatian Consul Ivica Sertić and his wife Katica, who sustained only scratches and cuts in the initial Iranian response to the Israeli attack. Their flat was completely destroyed.
The minister saidВ efforts are under way to repatriate Croatian citizens from Israel and Iran. “Given that air traffic is either closed or mostly restricted, evacuation is mainly being carried out by land and via communication through safe countries, such as Egypt and Jordan.”
“Just today, an aircraft operated by a Slovak airline is landing in Bratislava, having transported five of our citizens from Egypt,” Grlić Radman said.
When asked about the number of Croatian citizens who are not diplomatic staff, the minister said there are 15 in Iran, according to embassy records. “In Israel, there are about 150. Some of them hold dual citizenship, some get in touch, some do not, and we cannot require this from them due to personal data protection.”
Grlić Radman added that he had just spoken with the ambassador in Tehran, Drago Štambuk. “He informed me of the steps other countries such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary have taken. They have already decided to evacuate their diplomats. The situation is relatively stable at the moment. However, no one knows what will happen in the coming hours or days, but it is better for them to be in a safe place than to be exposed to potential threats there.”
