Thousands of Swedes are stranded across the Middle East after Israeli and US attacks on Iran killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, paralyzing air traffic. This follows earlier UD advisories urging citizens to leave Iran amid deadly protests. Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard now calls for registration on the UD's crisis list and downloading the Resklar app, warning of escalation risks and evacuation challenges due to closed airspace. EU nations are coordinating citizen protection.
The attacks have left thousands of Swedes, including artist Martin “E-type” Eriksson in Dubai, stranded and criticizing the UD for poor communication. Malmer Stenergard (M) acknowledged post-EU meeting: "It’s not always easy for the UD to help people in other parts of the world."
She noted the Iranian regime persists despite Khamenei's death, stressing escalation risks and the need to pressure the regime—a threat to the West and its people—while backing pro-freedom voices, though without a clear post-regime plan.
On the strikes, she called the situation “genuinely difficult”: Iran must be stopped from nuclear development, but violence must follow international law with limited self-defense scope. “You can bomb away a development but never bomb forward a lasting peace,” she said.
UD has sent SMS updates, urging use of svensklistan and Resklar for alerts. No near-term evacuations due to airspace closures, but cooperation with travel firms and EU partners continues. Consular head Svante Liljegren said: “Unfortunately, there is not much we can do right now.” A weaker Iran could curb its support for Russia's Ukraine war.
