Iran Has Not Yet Evacuated Its Citizens from Wuhan, China

Iranian authorities intend to return 80 citizens from China to Iran. However, the actual number of Iranians residing in China is higher than this figure. Many countries, including Turkey and Germany, have already evacuated their citizens from China.

Dr. Kianush Jahanpour, head of the Information and Public Relations Center of the Ministry of Health, announced the dispatch of a special aircraft equipped with quarantine facilities to return 80 Iranians residing in China. A significant portion of these individuals are students studying in China.

This Iranian official has not announced the actual number of Iranian citizens residing in China. In recent years, the number of Iranian students in China has increased significantly, and previously Iranian authorities had stated that approximately 1,400 Iranian students study in China, with Wuhan being considered one of the important cities for Iranian students.

The head of the Information and Public Relations Center of the Ministry of Health stated that after returning from China, individuals will be quarantined in a hotel in Tehran for 14 days with the presence of a medical team and complete quarantine facilities.

Regarding the details of negotiations and preliminary agreements with the Chinese, the head of the Information and Public Relations Center of the Ministry of Health said: “Negotiations with China have been conducted and preliminary agreements have been reached. Considering that two other countries like Turkey have evacuated their citizens from China, we do not believe there would be any diplomatic difficulties in the return of our compatriots.”

Iranian authorities have also emphasized that negotiations with Chinese officials have taken place regarding the permission for Iranians residing in China to leave the country, and preliminary agreements have been obtained. This is while many countries have rapidly evacuated their citizens from China without mentioning obtaining permits, negotiations with Chinese authorities, agreements with the Chinese, or potential diplomatic complications.

The Fate of Iranian Students Residing in Wuhan

The outbreak of coronavirus began two months ago at a seafood market in Wuhan and the virus has now spread to the furthest corners of the world.

So far, cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in the United States, France, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Singapore, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia. International airports in countries are strictly monitoring passengers entering from China.

The Iranian Embassy in Beijing has announced that no reports of coronavirus infection among Iranians residing in China have been received to date.

Iranian authorities have not yet provided information about the fate of the country’s citizens in Wuhan. The actual number of Iranians living in the metropolis of Wuhan is also unclear.

More than two hundred Iranian students study in Wuhan, and a group of them have established the “General Assembly of Iranian Students Residing in Wuhan.” One of these students previously told China Radio that Wuhan has become the city with the highest number of Iranian students throughout China.