South Korea bans its nationals from travelling to Iran

Seoul (ANTARA) – South Korea has banned its nationals from travelling to Iran due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

From 18:00 local time on 5 March, the Level 4 alert, or a total travel ban, will be imposed across the entire territory of Iran.

“Because the security situation in the Middle East has worsened, the safety of our citizens visiting or residing in Iran raises very serious concerns,” the ministry said.

Previously, Level 3, a recommendation to leave the country, had applied to all of Iran.

Iran has officially been classified as a ‘country subject to a travel ban’, and South Korean nationals may only visit it if they obtain special permission to use their passports.

“We urge citizens planning to travel to this region to cancel their trips, and those currently there to depart the country,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry said.

Iranian authorities will continue to monitor developments in the Middle East closely and take the necessary steps to safeguard Korean citizens.

On 28 February, the United States and Israel attacked Iran, including Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties.

Iran retaliated by striking areas in Israel and several U.S. military bases across the Middle East.