Japanese Nationals Flee Iran, Israel

   Tokyo, June 20 (Jiji Press)--Government-chartered buses have evacuated 87 Japanese nationals and their family members from Israel and Iran amid the intensifying conflict between the two Middle Eastern countries, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Friday.
   By Friday, 21 such people from Israel arrived in the Jordanian capital of Amman and the 66 others from Iran in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, Iwaya said, adding that they are all healthy.
   According to the Foreign Ministry, some 1,000 Japanese citizens are still in Israel and about 220 are in Iran.
   The second round of evacuations from Iran by bus would be conducted as early as Saturday, Iwaya said. "We are determined to do everything to protect Japanese nationals while closely monitoring local conditions."
   The Japanese government has already ordered the Air Self-Defense Force to dispatch transport aircraft to Djibouti and get them ready in the East African country to airlift evacuees from the Iran-Israel clash.

(2025/06/20-14:06)