TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 7. A total of 14,944 Uzbek citizens have been evacuated to Uzbekistan since February 28 through special flights operated from the airports of Medina, Jeddah, and Dubai, Trend reports, citing the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan.
According to the ministry, 63 flights were operated from the airports of Medina and Jeddah, while 9 flights were carried out from Dubai, delivering 1,401 citizens to Uzbekistan.
Foreign airlines also took part in the evacuation. Flynas operated five flights on the routes Jeddah-Tashkent and Jeddah-Namangan, while flydubai carried out three flights on the Dubai–Tashkent route. These flights transported a total of 1,365 passengers, including 990 citizens of Uzbekistan.
According to the statement, organizational measures are currently underway to evacuate Uzbek citizens who remain in Qatar, with plans to arrange their return via Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Following the 2nd round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran on February 17, which ended without progress, the U.S. increased its presence in areas near Iran, deploying over 150 aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.
The escalation follows the 3rd round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva on February 26. Held under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the negotiations were viewed as the final chance to strike a deal diplomatically. However, no agreements were reached, as Tehran refused to halt uranium enrichment, dismantle its nuclear facilities, or accept indefinite restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel launched its airstrikes shortly afterward, with the country's Defense Minister Katz emphasizing that the operations were preemptive.