YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The first group of Armenian nationals have been airlifted out of Iran amid the coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic.

“The aircraft carrying the Armenian citizens arrived [in Armenia] at 16:00,” foreign ministry official Arsen Avagyan told ARMENPRESS.

The citizens were airlifted on a special flight.

The next group of the Armenian nationals will be repatriated from Iran on February 28.

65 Armenian nationals applied to the Embassy of Armenia in Iran for repatriation.

Armenia imposed a partial closure of its border with Iran amid reports of the novel coronavirus in the Islamic Republic. However, the shutdown doesn’t cover nationals who are willing to repatriate.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan