Freed Japanese national in Azerbaijan, set to return home soon

A Japanese citizen released by Iran is currently in Azerbaijan and is expected to return home in the near future.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced this during a broadcast on Fuji TV.

He noted that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of a second Japanese national still being held in Iran.

“We are working to ensure the swift release of our second citizen,” Motegi said.

It should be recalled that on February 28, the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran, carrying out airstrikes on several cities. Iran responded by firing missiles toward Israeli territory and also targeted U.S. military bases in Gulf countries.

Amid the escalating situation in the Middle East, several countries in the region temporarily closed their airspace. On the same day, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed as a result of U.S. and Israeli strikes.

As of March 20, a total of 17 Japanese citizens have been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan since the escalation began.