Germany prioritizes vulnerable nationals in Middle East evacuation plan

Germany is preparing to evacuate children, sick individuals and pregnant women among its citizens stranded in the Middle East, officials said Monday.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the government will charter flights to Riyadh and Muscat to evacuate vulnerable groups affected by widespread airspace closures across the region.

"The safety of our citizens is our top priority," Wadephul told reporters at the Foreign Ministry, where he has been chairing daily crisis meetings since Feb. 28. "We are doing everything possible in the current situation and exploring further options," he said.

About 30,000 German tourists remain stranded in several Middle Eastern countries following airspace closures triggered by US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory attacks across the region.

Wadephul said the Foreign Ministry is coordinating closely with travel industry representatives, including Lufthansa, tourism company TUI and the German Travel Association (DRV).

"We have one goal together: We want to help Germans get home," he said.

The minister stressed that commercial airlines and tour operators bear primary responsibility for returning their customers to Germany, while government-chartered flights are intended to assist particularly vulnerable groups.

He added that if civilian measures prove insufficient, the German Armed Forces could be deployed to conduct evacuation flights using military aircraft.