Hundreds Flee into Azerbaijan and Armenia from Iran

Smoke rises following an Israeli attack on the IRIB building, the country's state broadcaster, in Tehran, Iran, June 16, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Smoke rises following an Israeli attack on the IRIB building, the country's state broadcaster, in Tehran, Iran, June 16, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Hundreds Flee into Azerbaijan and Armenia from Iran

Smoke rises following an Israeli attack on the IRIB building, the country's state broadcaster, in Tehran, Iran, June 16, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Smoke rises following an Israeli attack on the IRIB building, the country's state broadcaster, in Tehran, Iran, June 16, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

More than 600 people of 17 nationalities have fled into Azerbaijan from Iran in the five days since the start of the air war between Israel and Iran, an Azerbaijani source with knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday.

Armenian news agency Armenpress reported separately that India has evacuated 110 of its nationals from Iran via Armenia.

The flight from Iran has been prompted by surprise attacks that Israel began last Friday, to which Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks. US President Donald Trump warned residents of Tehran on Monday to evacuate immediately.

From Tehran to the crossing into Azerbaijan is a road journey of about eight hours, while reaching the Armenian border takes over 10 hours.

Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizadeh said more than 1,200 citizens from 51 countries had requested permission to cross from Iran into Azerbaijan.

He declined to say how many had already done so, but the Azerbaijani source put the number at more than 600. The source said they came from Russia, the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Portugal, China, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Azerbaijan has kept land borders closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, but it allowed the foreigners to enter via a "humanitarian corridor" crossing at Astara in its southeast corner.

The source said people were being taken by bus to the capital Baku to catch flights to home countries.

'BIG QUEUES'

A man from the United States, who did not give his name, told Azerbaijani state TV: "There are long lines at gas stations and a fuel shortage. Everywhere you go, there are big queues – it's very frightening. I still can't believe I managed to cross the border."

Nazim Beishekeyev, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, said he was one of 28 people from the Central Asian state who entered Azerbaijan after queuing for eight hours at the border. He thanked the authorities for providing food and medical help.

An Azerbaijani news agency, Report, said 26 Chinese nationals had crossed.

The Kremlin thanked Azerbaijan on Tuesday for helping Russian citizens leave Iran.

"Our Azerbaijani friends are providing all the most favorable conditions, for which we are very grateful to them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.



Rubio to Make First Asia Trip as Trump Unveils Tariffs on Host and Allies

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)
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Rubio to Make First Asia Trip as Trump Unveils Tariffs on Host and Allies

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump's State Department budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 20, 2025. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Malaysia this week to attend meetings of Southeast Asian Nations in his first trip to Asia as America's top diplomat, the State Department said on Monday.

The department announced the July 8-12 trip, billed as a move to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the Indo-Pacific, just hours before President Donald Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea, the key US allies in the region and vital partners in countering China's growing might, as well as on Malaysia.

Trump also announced 40% tariffs on Laos and Myanmar, which along with Malaysia are members of ASEAN.

Rubio will take part in meetings with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose ministers are gathering in Kuala Lumpur and will also meet with senior Malaysian government officials, the State Department said.

Rubio will seek to firm up US relationships with partners and allies unnerved by Trump's global tariff strategy and the president's announcements look certain to dampen the mood.

The trip has been seen as part of a renewed US focus on the Indo-Pacific and an effort to look beyond conflicts in the Middle East and Europe that have consumed much of the Trump administration's attention.

"Top topics that he's going to want to hit, obviously, are to reaffirm our commitment to East Asia, to ASEAN, to the Indo-Pacific, and not just ... for its own sake," a senior State Department official told reporters.

"I think a key message that the secretary likes to deliver is that we're committed, and we prioritize it because it is in America's interests, right? It promotes American prosperity and it promotes American security."

The official said Rubio would be prepared to discuss trade, including reiterating that the need to rebalance US trade relationships is significant and echoing messages from the White House and US Trade Representative.

ASEAN countries have been nervous about Trump's tariffs and questioned the willingness of his "America First" administration to fully engage diplomatically and economically with the region.

"There is a hunger to be reassured that the US actually views the Indo-Pacific as the primary theater of US interests, key to US national security," said Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The White House said twelve other countries after Japan and South Korea will receive trade letters informing them of new tariffs to take effect from August 1.

Trump said on Sunday the US was close to finalizing several trade pacts and would notify other countries by July 9 of higher tariff rates. He also sent a message to BRICS group of developing nations as its leaders met in Brazil, threatening an additional 10% tariff on any aligning themselves with "anti-American" policies.

The BRICS includes ASEAN member Indonesia, as well as China and India.

Trump announced last week he had reached a trade agreement with important Southeast Asian partner and ASEAN member Vietnam and could reach one with India, but cast doubt on a possible deal with Japan, which is not only Washington's main Asian ally, but a major investor in the United States.

Rubio has yet to visit Japan, or South Korea, the other main US ally in Northeast Asia, since taking office in January, even though Washington sees the Indo-Pacific as its main strategic priority given the perceived threat from China.

South Korea's presidential security adviser Wi Sung-lac headed to Washington on Sunday for trade and defense talks, with Seoul seeking to head off US tariffs. He aims to meet with Rubio and discuss a possible summit between Trump and President Lee Jae Myung, who took office last month.