Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the situation in the Middle East has worsened. Flights are not operating, and it is unknown when they will resume. The night showed there is no peace in the region. Iran is attacking everyone, even its allies. There is no positive news at the moment.
Tsahkna said the situation will not calm down in the coming days. Rather, it will worsen because Iran is unpredictable. The Iranian regime is behaving like a wounded predator. No one knows when the conflict will end. It seems it could last a long time.
The good thing is that we now know where Estonian citizens are. More precise information can be shared with them. There are about 1,500 Estonians in the Emirates. A WhatsApp group has been created to communicate with them.
There has been misinformation in the group claiming flights will resume. Do not go to the airport unless there is official confirmation. Currently, no opening of airspace is visible. The situation may worsen. We must be patient.
The Foreign Ministry cannot ban people from traveling. There are countries where travel is not recommended. However, we warn that the Middle East is dangerous. Information is being shared continuously.
No one knew the US and Israel would attack Iran on such a large scale. It was a secret. Initially, it was thought to be pressure on Iran. But now many people are stuck, including Estonians. Many went there for business or vacation.
The state cannot currently bring Estonian citizens back. Some have moved to Oman to fly from there. However, flights are disrupted. The EU believes there is no point in organizing flights there because access is difficult.
Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur was in Dubai. He has now moved somewhere by land. Tsahkna does not know exactly where he is. Pevkur is in a safe location.
There are 1,527 Estonian citizens in the UAE. The Foreign Ministry knows the whereabouts of 1,040 people in the Emirates, 34 in Oman, 25 in Qatar, 12 in Israel, and 7 in Saudi Arabia.