Foreign Ministry: Weapons Have Once Again Prevailed over Diplomacy

Bratislava/Tehran, 28 February (TASR) - The Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry has noted with regret that weapons have once again prevailed over diplomacy during the current military escalation between Israel and Iran, TASR reported on Saturday referring to information from the ministry's communications department. The ministry condemned such conduct and called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and return to the negotiating table. According to the ministry, military action will again lead to the suffering of civilians on both sides and could further escalate the unstable situation in the region. "Since yesterday morning, our ministry has been working intensively on measures aimed at increasing the safety of Slovak nationals and employees of Slovak diplomatic missions in the region," stated the ministry. In this context, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) has decided to activate evacuation plans at the most exposed diplomatic missions, tasking the relevant ambassadors with their implementation. According to the ministry's records, there are 71 Slovak nationals currently in Israel, including 39 pilgrims, and twelve Slovaks in Jordan. No Slovak nationals are currently registered as being in Iran. All Slovaks known to the ministry are safe and well. However, the ministry clarified that the number of Slovak nationals in the Middle East may be higher, as not everyone may have completed the voluntary registration process before travelling to the region. So far, no Slovak citizens have contacted the ministry or diplomatic missions with any request for assistance in connection with this conflict. The ministry has issued a Level 4 travel advisory, recommending that Slovak nationals leave Israel and the Palestinian territories. Explosions were heard in Iran on Saturday morning during a joint Israeli-American military intervention. Blasts were reported from several locations, including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Tabriz, and Kermanshah. According to US President Donald Trump, the "major combat operations" are aimed at eliminating the threat posed by the Iranian regime. Iran has responded with missile strikes on Israel. jrg