International governments initiate emergency evacuations as thousands of travelers remain stranded across the Middle East

Britain, Germany, and Italy lead international evacuation efforts for thousands of tourists stranded by the Israel-US-Iran war as Gulf airspace remains paralyzed.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 3:09 PM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from SRF

European Repatriation Efforts

Several European governments have moved into high alert following the escalation of airstrikes and the subsequent closure of international airspace over the Gulf. Germany estimates that approximately 30,000 of its citizens are currently stranded in the region, with Berlin prioritizing the evacuation of children, the sick, and pregnant women via flights from Riyadh and Muscat. Italy has successfully completed its first charter flight, transporting 127 citizens from Oman to Rome, while the Czech Republic has deployed two military aircraft to Sharm el Sheikh and Amman to begin their recovery operations.

British and Swiss Response

The United Kingdom is preparing for one of its largest modern evacuation efforts, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stating that her team is examining all options to assist an estimated 300,000 British citizens currently in the Persian Gulf. British intervention forces have been deployed to the region to assist with coordination. In contrast, Switzerland has announced that it is not currently planning a government-led repatriation operation for the 4,000 Swiss tourists stranded in the area, though the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs remains in contact with Swiss Air and European partners to explore flight availability.

Asian and Middle Eastern Operations

China has moved rapidly to protect its nationals, with the Foreign Ministry confirming the successful evacuation of over 3,000 Chinese citizens from Iran. This follows a weekend of intense strikes on the Iranian capital and retaliatory missile fire toward Israel. In Turkey, Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced the temporary suspension of all cross-border passenger traffic at the three primary border posts with Iran. While passenger crossings are halted, the Turkish government has specified that freight transport is currently unaffected by the new restrictions.