ACCRA, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The Ghanaian government has closed its embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran, due to the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Monday.
According to the statement, the government is also evacuating all Ghanaian nationals from Iran to ensure their safety.
"The Mahama administration, in the interest of the protection of Ghanaian lives, has decided to immediately evacuate Ghanaians living in Iran following an escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict," said the statement.
The evacuation through land borders covers all Ghanaian diplomats, students, professionals, and other compatriots, it added.
Meanwhile, Ghana's embassy operations in Tel Aviv have been reduced to the "barest minimum," while the government assures that no effort will be spared in protecting Ghanaian lives and keeping their nationals out of harm.
In a separate statement, the Ghanaian government expressed concern over the developments in the Middle East following the military strikes undertaken by Israel on Iranian territory last week.
"Ghana calls upon the parties to exercise maximum restraint and accept the channels of diplomatic facilitation to de-escalate the situation. Ghana further calls upon the parties to reaffirm their commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law," said the statement. ■