SDF planes head for Djibouti for possible Israel, Iran evacuations
Two Air Self-Defense Force aircraft have left for Djibouti to prepare for a possible evacuation of Japanese nationals in Israel and Iran.
The C-2 transport planes left the Miho Air Base in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Saturday.
Defense Minister Nakatani Gen on Thursday ordered the dispatch of the aircraft to the African country to be on standby amid the conflict between Israel and Iran.
The Defense Ministry says it will work closely with the foreign and other relevant ministries with a strong sense of urgency to do everything it can to secure the safety of Japanese citizens abroad.
The Japanese government has been helping its citizens and their families in Israel and Iran leave by land. The government had assisted about 90 people as of Friday.
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NHK
6 hours ago
- NHK
SDF planes head for Djibouti for possible Israel, Iran evacuations
Two Air Self-Defense Force aircraft have left for Djibouti to prepare for a possible evacuation of Japanese nationals in Israel and Iran. The C-2 transport planes left the Miho Air Base in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Saturday. Defense Minister Nakatani Gen on Thursday ordered the dispatch of the aircraft to the African country to be on standby amid the conflict between Israel and Iran. The Defense Ministry says it will work closely with the foreign and other relevant ministries with a strong sense of urgency to do everything it can to secure the safety of Japanese citizens abroad. The Japanese government has been helping its citizens and their families in Israel and Iran leave by land. The government had assisted about 90 people as of Friday.
Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Japan Times
SDF aircraft depart for Djibouti to evacuate Japanese nationals
Two Air Self-Defense Force transport aircraft left Japan for Djibouti on Saturday to prepare to evacuate Japanese nationals from Israel and Iran. The C-2 aircraft took off from the ASDF's Miho base in the western prefecture of Tottori around 2:45 to 3 p.m., heading for the East African country, where the SDF has a base. At the request of Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Thursday ordered the Self-Defense Forces to prepare to transport Japanese nationals amid the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Such a transportation mission using SDF aircraft was last conducted in Lebanon last October. On Friday, the Foreign Ministry said that a total of 87 Japanese nationals and their family members living in Israel and Iran, were evacuated to neighboring countries by Japanese government-chartered buses. About 1,000 Japanese nationals are believed to remain in Israel, and some 220 in Iran. The Japanese government plans to conduct a second round of evacuations by bus in Iran as early as Saturday.
The Mainichi
9 hours ago
- The Mainichi
2 SDF planes leave Japan for Djibouti for possible Mideast evacuation
TOTTORI (Kyodo) -- Two Self-Defense Forces planes departed Japan on Saturday for eastern Africa to stand by for a possible evacuation of Japanese nationals from the Middle East amid mounting safety concerns over the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The C-2 transport planes left Miho Air Base in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, carrying about 120 personnel, according to the Defense Ministry. They will stand by at a Self-Defense Forces base in Djibouti, with no specific airlift plans at present as major airports in Israel and Iran remain closed. Since Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13, the two countries have exchanged attacks, with tensions further escalating after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested using military options to pressure Tehran to abandon its nuclear program. On Friday, a total of 87 Japanese nationals and their family members were evacuated, with 66 traveling from Iran to Azerbaijan and 21 from Israel to Jordan on government-arranged buses, according to the Foreign Ministry. Before the bus evacuation began, about 280 Japanese citizens were in Iran, and around 1,000 were in Israel, the ministry said. On Tuesday, Japan raised the travel alert for all of Iran to its highest, Level 4, advising nationals to "evacuate and avoid all travel." Most of Israel has remained subject to the second-highest Level 3 advisory, which urges people to "avoid all travel."
