Islamabad, 20 June

Countries are evacuating their nationals from Israel and Iran by air, land and sea as conflict rages between the bitter rivals.

Days of attacks and reprisals by the two enemies have shuttered airspace across the Middle East, severely disrupting commercial flights and leaving people unable to get in or out of the region easily.

Some governments are using land borders to get their citizens out by road to countries where airports remain open.

Thousands of foreigners have already left since the conflict started last week when Israel launched surprise missile strikes on Iran.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria has moved all its diplomats from Tehran to the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, the Balkan country's prime minister said Thursday.

“We are not closing the embassy, ??but moving it to Baku until the danger passes,” said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.

A group of 89 Bulgarians was evacuated from Israel by plane to Sofia, along with 59 nationals from Slovenia, the US, Belgium, Albania, Kosovo and Romania.

China

China said it has evacuated more than 1,600 nationals from Iran and “several hundred others” from Israel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing would continue to do its “utmost to assist in the safe transfer and evacuation of Chinese citizens.”

The Chinese Embassy said it would organize group evacuations by bus from Israel starting Friday.

A notice posted on the embassy's WeChat social media account said citizens would be taken out through the Taba border crossing to Egypt. It asked them to register online and said they would be notified of the evacuation time.

People carrying Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao passports were eligible, the notice said.

European Union

The European Union has helped evacuate some 400 people from Israel via Jordan and Egypt as part of its efforts to coordinate an emergency response within the 27-nation bloc.

“Member states coordinate the list and we co-finance these flights up to 75 per cent of the transport costs,” European Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova told a regular press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.

Hrncirova said the EU was fielding requests by Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, and Poland for assistance with Middle East evacuations.

France

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Thursday it was helping nationals who want to leave Iran and Israel to do so through neighboring countries where commercial flights were still available.

Germany

Germany flew 171 people out of Amman on a special flight on Wednesday. A further 174 people returned on Thursday and another flight is planned this weekend.