A fire blazes in the oil depots of Shahran, northwest of Tehran, on 15 June 2025. Photo: Atta Kenare / AFP
The Solomon Islands foreign ministry says five people who completed agriculture training in Israel are safe but unable to come home amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran.
The ministry said in a statement the Solomon Islands Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining regular contact with the students.
Ambassador Cornelius Walegerea said given the volatile nature of the current situation, the safety of their citizens in Israel - particularly the students - remains their top priority.
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"Once the airport reopens and it is deemed safe for them to travel, the students will be able to return home."
The five Solomon Islands students have undertaken agricultural training at the Arava International Centre for Agriculture in Israel since September 2024.
The students completed their training on 5 June and were scheduled to return home on 17 June.
The students have been advised to strictly follow instructions issued by local authorities and to continue observing all precautionary safety measures.
The ministry will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.
Its travel advisory, issued the day Israel attacked Iran, said the ministry "wishes to advise all citizens not to travel to Israel and the region".
Citizens studying in Israel were told they "should now make every effort to leave Israel".
Meanwhile, afriend of a New Zealander stuck in Iran says the NZ government needs to help provide safe passage, and that the advice so far has been "vague and lacking any substance whatsover".
The woman told RNZ the advice from MFAT up until yesterday had been to "stay put", before an evacuation notice was issued.
MFAT declined the offer for an interview, but told RNZ it had heard from a small number of New Zealanders seeking advice about how to depart from Iran and Israel.
It would not provide any further detail regarding those individuals.
MFAT said the airspace is currently closed over both countries, which would likely continue. The agency understood departure via land border crossings had been taking place, but that carried risks and New Zealanders "should only do so if they feel it is safe".
Meanwhile, the NZ Government said visitors from war zones in the Middle East can stay in New Zealand until it is safe for them to return home.
