Evacuations of Japanese nationals have been carried out from Iran twice amid continuing attacks. One of the evacuees spoke to NNN, saying the attacks they experienced are “intensifying.”

A Japanese national who evacuated from Tehran,  Iran, on March 7 spoke to NNN the next day , reflecting on the battle that began on February 28.

Evacuated Japanese national:
“My daughter and niece came out of their room and turned on the satellite TV, rushing in. Then I heard a bang. I realized it wasn’t from the TV—it was the sound of a missile hitting somewhere near our home. It was  a dull sound, a really unpleasant one. And it was continuing day and night, and I feel the attacks are getting more intense.”

The evacuee said food and other supplies were available and there was not a big  panic on purchasing.

Evacuated Japanese national:
“Even when missiles were flying in, people didn’t stop going out just because they were afraid. In a strange way, people have almost gotten used to living  with missiles falling nearby.”

In the early hours of March 7th,, the day they evacuated, Tehran’s Airport was attacked and they saw flames rising.

Evacuated Japanese national:
“Looking at the orange dawn sky in the east, I saw black smoke drifting across the sky, and wondered what was going to happen.”

They say they cannot support the attacks, but also expressed mixed feelings about supporting Iran’s current government.

Now that they have left the country, the tension they had been feeling has eased, and they said frankly, “I do feel relieved.”

Japanese nationals have begun evacuating from Middle East countries as regional unrest continues.

On the night of March 8, a flight chartered by the Japanese government arrived out of the Omani capital of Muscat at Narita Airport, east of Tokyo, carrying 107 people including Japanese.

Preparations are underway to transport Japanese nationals and others who traveled by land to Saudi Arabia from Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, where airports have been closed or scaled down.

Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said a charter flight bound for Narita Airport will depart from Riyadh as early as March 9.