Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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Australia has expressed its gratitude to Azerbaijan for the assistance provided to its citizens during evacuation operations from Iran, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a recent phone call with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong shared details of Australia’s evacuation plans and personally thanked Azerbaijan for its support in ensuring the safety and passage of Australian nationals.

The ministers also exchanged views on other bilateral issues of mutual concern. They emphasized the importance of the political consultation mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries.

To recall, the development comes in the aftermath of a significant military escalation between Israel and Iran.

On the morning of June 13, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran, reportedly killing several high-ranking Iranian officials, including the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami, and Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters Commander Gholam Ali Rashid, as well as six nuclear scientists and other senior figures.

Later that same evening, Iran retaliated with “Operation True Promise III,” firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel, including major population centers such as Tel Aviv. The strikes caused extensive destruction and civilian casualties.

Amid the turmoil, Azerbaijan played a key logistical and humanitarian role. Over 600 individuals, including foreign nationals, were safely evacuated through the Astara border checkpoint — a critical passage on the Azerbaijani-Iranian frontier.

Azerbaijan’s assistance has been acknowledged as a vital contribution to regional coordination efforts during a rapidly deteriorating security crisis.