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New Zealand Closes Embassy in Tehran

Published January 16, 2026, 09:22
New Zealand Closes Embassy in Tehran

New Zealand announced on Friday that it is temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran and evacuating its diplomatic staff, due to the deteriorating security situation in Iran. The diplomatic staff was safely evacuated via commercial flights overnight. Embassy operations will be transferred to Ankara. New Zealand advises its citizens not to travel to Iran and calls on those currently in the country to leave immediately. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it has limited ability to provide consular assistance to New Zealanders in Iran. Foreign Minister Winston Peters condemned the violent suppression of protests by security forces.