Japan to Evacuate Nationals on Chartered Flights Sun.

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will operate chartered flights from Oman and Saudi Arabia on Sunday to transport Japanese citizens in the Middle East back home amid growing regional tensions in the wake of the escalating conflict between the U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran, officials said Friday. Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference Friday that a Self-Defense Forces transport aircraft will be on standby in the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, to prepare for unexpected developments in the Middle East situation. The chartered flights will be available for Japanese expatriates and their family members, with the government shouldering the costs of their travel. As the number of applicants is expected to exceed capacity, priority may be given to elderly people and pregnant women. The flights are slated to leave Oman and Saudi Arabia on Sunday local time, and arrive at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, within the day, according to the government officials. On Thursday, the Foreign Ministry raised its travel alert for six Middle East countries to Level 3, the second highest on its four-tier system, urging Japanese nationals to avoid traveling to the nations. Since international airports are closed in four of the six countries, excluding Oman and Saudi Arabia, the government is transporting expatriates and others who are willing to evacuate to the two countries by land for Sunday’s flights back home. The government is prioritizing the use of commercial flights for evacuations. At the press conference, Kihara explained that the dispatch of the SDF aircraft to the Maldives is a precautionary measure. On Friday, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi asked Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to make preparations for the transportation of Japanese nationals in the Middle East based on an SDF law provision. Later, Koizumi ordered the commander of the SDF’s Joint Operations Command to take action for the mission. The SDF plane will leave for the Maldives as soon as it is ready. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted on X on Friday, “We will make all-out efforts to safeguard Japanese nationals in the whole region including countries neighboring Iran.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]