Uganda evacuates citizens from Iran amid Israel conflict

Uganda helped 44 people escape from Iran after fighting broke out between Iran and Israel on June 13. The group had 42 regular citizens and two embassy workers who made it safely to Turkey. Embassy staff in Tehran organized the rescue with help from Uganda's foreign ministry and their team in Turkey.

The evacuees crossed into Turkey at Bargarzan border on Wednesday and headed toward Istanbul. They will catch a special flight back to Uganda from there. Iran fired long-range missiles at Israeli targets like the Weizmann Institute research center. Israel hit back at Iranian military sites in Tehran and other cities.

Both countries shut down their airspace after the attacks started. This made regular flights impossible and forced many countries to pull their people out. Uganda set up an emergency center in Ankara to handle the evacuation. Turkey gave emergency visas to help the Ugandans enter the country quickly.

Ambassador Matata Twaha leads the rescue efforts with other diplomats. They will keep working until all Ugandans in Iran get home safely. The ministry thinks more Ugandans might still be stuck in Iran. They want families to report anyone who needs help getting out.