Russia war forces Iran to relocate Kyiv embassy
Iranian authorities face anger at home over their failure to promptly evacuate nationals caught up in the Russian war on Ukraine.
The Iranian Embassy in Kyiv said it was relocating to neighboring Moldova, citing "the impossibility of maintaining normal operations" amid the intensifying Russian war on Ukraine.
According to its March 22 statement, Iran's diplomatic mission will continue in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, "until the situation in Ukraine is back to normal."
The embassy added that the proximity of the new location to the war-hit country will help the Iranians stranded in Ukraine stay connected to its provisions.
The announcement had been informally made a day earlier in a video message by Iran's Ukraine ambassador, Manouchehr Moradi, who is also holding the position of Iran's chargé d'affaires in Moldova. Moradi assured Iranian nationals of continued service, as he expressed regret that "some of our fellow Iranians have been affected by this devastating war and have had to be displaced from their homes."
