South Korea Orders Citizens to Depart Iran Amid Rising Tensions

(MENAFN) South Korea has instructed its nationals to evacuate Iran immediately as fears of a potential U.S. military offensive push regional tensions to a critical threshold, according to an embassy statement and local media reports published Monday.

The South Korean Embassy in Tehran issued a safety notice on its website Sunday, cautioning that security conditions inside Iran could unravel without warning. Nationals were urged to track embassy advisories and media developments closely while taking every available precaution to protect their safety, media reported.

"Recent media reports have highlighted rapidly escalating regional tensions, citing the possibility of a US attack on Iran and Tehran's warning of retaliation," the embassy said.

South Koreans currently on Iranian soil were directed to depart "as soon as possible" unless their presence is deemed absolutely necessary. Those with planned travel to Iran were similarly advised to cancel or delay their itineraries without delay.

The alert arrives as Washington expands its military footprint across the Middle East at an accelerated pace. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, accompanied by additional fighter aircraft, has already been repositioned to the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford is reportedly en route.

U.S. President Donald Trump last Thursday imposed a 10- to 15-day diplomatic deadline on Iran, signaling that military intervention would follow if negotiations fail to yield concrete results. He reinforced that warning Friday, adding that he was also weighing a more targeted strike designed to compel Tehran into reaching what he described as a "serious" agreement.

Despite the mounting pressure, both sides are set to resume nuclear talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday — a new round confirmed Sunday by Oman's foreign minister.

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