Ghana races to rescue citizens from Iran-Israel conflict as first group leaves for Turkey
A group of Ghanaians have been successfully evacuated from war-torn Iran to Turkey as the Mahama-led government steps up measures to safeguard its residents in the face of escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.
Ghana successfully evacuated citizens from war-torn Iran to Turkey amid rising tensions.
Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed the evacuation as part of a safety measure.
The initiative followed diplomatic discussions addressing the security crisis.
On Friday, June 20, 2025, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the evacuation in a Facebook post.
'So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran have been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly,' Mr Ablakwa stated.
He said the action was in response to earlier in the week's diplomatic meetings with Israeli Ambassador Roey Gilad and Iranian Ambassador Ali Ghomshi.
Ablakwa disclosed that the evacuation was part of a broader initiative prompted by the escalating conflict between the two Middle Eastern nations.
The minister recalled the discussion Ghana had with Israeli Ambassador H.E. Roey Gilad on Tuesday and Iranian Ambassador H.E. Ali Ghomshi on Wednesday which he noted was a part of President John Mahama's emergency evacuation strategy.
The meetings, as reported by MyJoyOnline, were intended to secure border entry permissions and ensure the safe passage of Ghanaians as violence escalated in the region.
Beyond the evacuation actions, these meetings allowed Ghana to gain a better grasp of the ongoing situation.
There are currently 922 Ghanaians residing in Israel, including 65 students enrolled at six universities, according to Mr. Ablakwa. So far there has been no reports of Ghanaians being hurt or killed.
Ghana embassy closure
Just days before, on Monday, June 16, Ghana announced the urgent closure of its embassy in Tehran owing to the escalating crisis in the region.
The decision was made to protect Ghanaian lives, especially because tensions between Iran and Israel show no indications of easing.
The evacuation followed urgent appeals from the Minority in Parliament, which voiced great concern for the safety of Ghanaians in Iran and requested immediate government action.
'The Mahama administration has, in the interest of the protection of Ghanaian lives, decided to immediately evacuate Ghanaians living in Iran following an escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict,' Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs stated.
'To guarantee the safety of our embassy staff, Ghana's embassy in Tehran has been closed with immediate effect.'
Earlier, Ghana had decided to abstain from a vote in Vienna on whether Iran is complying with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards, which Israel said was dissapointing.
Start of the Iran-Israel conflict
Israeli and Iranian military attacks have been fierce for the third day in a row. Targeting military, nuclear, and energy facilities in places including Tehran, Natanz, and Isfahan, Israel conducted a series of bombings deep into Iranian territory, purportedly killing key commanders and scientists and damaging missile installations.
Iran responded by attacking Israel with more than 200 ballistic missiles and drones as part of what it named Operation True Promise III.
Although many were stopped by Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow systems, dozens managed to get past defenses and hit Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bat Yam, and other locations, killing at least 10–15 Israeli civilians and injuring hundreds more.
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