KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Embassy in Iran has been instructed to temporarily cease operations, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He added that all Malaysian Embassy staff have also been instructed to return home immediately.
Mohamad, as reported by Berita Harian, confirmed that many other countries' embassies have done the same following increased tensions in the conflict involving Iran and Israel.
"I have instructed all embassy staff, including the ambassador, and all Malaysians have been asked to leave Iran.
"However, some are still reluctant to leave, including three students in Qom and one in Isfahan, as they are far from Tehran," he said on Saturday (June 21).
Yesterday, Mohamad said the Foreign Ministry had instructed all Malaysians in Iran to leave the country.
He stated that Wisma Putra had arranged land transportation for all Malaysians to head to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
"Since no flights are allowed through Iran at the moment, we have prepared vehicles for them to travel by road to the nearest place.
"The journey of 950km is estimated to take 13 hours as it involves crossing mountain ranges," he said in a video shared with Astro Awani.
