Taipei: Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) raised its travel advisories for Israel and Iran on Friday due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, urging Taiwanese nationals in Iran to leave immediately for their safety.
According to Focus Taiwan, MOFA announced in a news release that the travel advisory for Israel has been elevated to Level 3, or the orange label, advising against travel unless absolutely necessary. Previously, the alert for the Israel-Lebanon border was raised to Level 4, the highest on the four-tier system, due to hostilities following rocket exchanges and Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
On the same day, MOFA increased the alert for Iran to Level 4, urging Taiwanese nationals to leave the country as soon as possible. This announcement followed Israel's airstrike against Iran, targeting its nuclear program and key government figures and scientists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the airstrikes by emphasizing Israel's need for "survival" and accused Iran of accelerating its nuclear program. Mixed international reactions followed, with U.S. President Donald Trump praising the strike as "excellent" and hinting at further actions, while Germany, France, and the United Nations called for de-escalation.
In retaliation, Iran launched missiles targeting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, intensifying the conflict. These developments have cast doubt on ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations for a potential nuclear peace deal.
According to the latest data from MOFA, there are approximately 283 Taiwanese nationals in Israel, including overseas staff and their families, residents, and travelers, and seven Taiwanese nationals in Iran. All are reported to be safe, and MOFA's missions in Israel and Dubai remain in contact to provide necessary assistance.
MOFA also announced the suspension of its working holiday scheme for Israel, effective immediately. The program, which began accepting applications on June 1, allowed up to 200 nationals aged 18 to 30 from each country to live and work for up to a year. Taiwan and Israel signed the working holiday agreement in 2023.