With Iranian airspace completely shut down from the start of the conflict, the only routes out were overland.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has revealed that Iran’s assistance to foreign nationals during the current war amounted to little more than scrapping an exit visa requirement, with himself admitting uncertainty about what else Tehran was prepared to do.
Lamola said when the US-Israel war on Iran began on 28 February 2026, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs moved quickly to notify embassies in Tehran of one concrete measure: foreign nationals would not need exit visas to leave the country.
Under normal circumstances, that visa is a mandatory requirement.
In a war, with airspace shut and borders suddenly the only way out, removing that bureaucratic step mattered.
But according to Lamola, that was more or less where Iran’s assistance ended.
A waiver, not a plan
The exit visa waiver was not without precedent.
Lamola noted that Iran had taken the same step during the 12-day war of June 2025, suggesting it has become a default emergency measure rather than a coordinated evacuation strategy.
He acknowledged that the waiver addressed a process that could “significantly delay evacuations in an emergency situation like war, which demands speed and urgency.”
However, a waiver is not a corridor, a convoy, or a guarantee of safe passage.
With Iranian airspace completely shut down from the start of the conflict, the only routes out were overland.
“The only option for those wishing to evacuate was through land border crossings with countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Pakistan, Iraq, and Turkey.
“Therefore, for all practical purposes, foreign nationals were permitted to exit Iran via these border crossings without the necessary exit visa,” Lamola stated.
Although Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey barred Iranian nationals from exiting their countries.
“These three countries allowed foreign nationals leaving Iran to enter and exit through their own means.”
What was promised versus what was delivered
When asked whether South Africa had held formal discussions with Iranian authorities about evacuation, particularly after Iran’s ambassador publicly signalled willingness to help, Lamola’s reply was measured.
He confirmed that Iran communicated through diplomatic channels with all embassies, including South Africa’s, but stopped short of detailing any specific agreements or arrangements beyond the visa waiver.
“It remains unclear how else the Iranian government was prepared to assist foreign nationals in exiting the country,” Lamola said.
According to the minister, the South African embassy did what it could with what it had, relaying Iran’s communications to nationals via WhatsApp groups.
But Lamola acknowledged that Iran subsequently restricted its internal communications network, which “may have resulted in all South African citizens not receiving all messages.”
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