Following the announcement of evacuation plans, Japan has accelerated operations to bring home its nationals from the Middle East amid the spreading Iran conflict. On Sunday, 107 arrived at Narita Airport via government-chartered flight. On Monday, 208 evacuated from Qatar reached Saudi Arabia, with around 300 more, including those from Kuwait and Bahrain, scheduled to arrive in Japan on Tuesday.
Building on the Foreign Ministry's March 5 announcement to evacuate nationals from Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE via land routes to Saudi Arabia and Oman for chartered flights, Japan has ramped up operations as the conflict, which erupted on February 28, intensifies.
The ministry reported that 208 Japanese from Qatar arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday. A second chartered flight, carrying about 300 people—including those already in Saudi Arabia and evacuees from Kuwait and Bahrain—is set to depart Riyadh later Monday and reach Narita on Tuesday morning. Earlier, 107 nationals arrived at Narita late Sunday.
This swift response, involving the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, and Self-Defense Forces, contrasts with the slower evacuation during the 2021 Afghanistan crisis, where Self-Defense Forces aircraft took over 10 days to deploy after Kabul's fall. The effort underscores Japan's growing role in overseas citizen protection while balancing ties with the U.S. and Gulf states.