In view of the tense situation in the region, the Foreign Ministry in Vienna issued a travel warning (security level 6) for the whole of Iraq. Security level three (high risk) applies to Iran in some border areas, security level 2 (increased security risk) applies to the rest of the Islamic Republic.
Around 200 Austrians in Iraq, mostly with family ties, mainly stay in the northern Iraqi Kurdish region, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Peter Guschelbauer. There are currently an estimated 300 Austrian citizens in Iran, including very few travelers.
Embassy in Baghdad closed
The Austrian embassy in Baghdad is closed for security reasons. The consular duties for the Iraqi area are carried out by the Embassy in Amman. Consular aid for Austrians in need in Iraq cannot therefore be guaranteed, according to the website of the ministry.
Representative authorities in neighboring countries (Jordan, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) can only assist Austrians once they have crossed the border.
Travel warning also applies to Iraqi Kurdish areas
The travel warning also applies to Iraqi Kurdish areas, where the security situation appears to be comparatively better than in other parts of Iraq. However, there are always military clashes there.
With regard to Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against trips to the border regions of Sistan-Beluchistan, Kurdistan and Khusistan that are not absolutely necessary – due to kidnapping cases, suicide bombings and bomb explosions. The same applies to the province of Hormozgan, especially the coastal areas.
There is an increased security risk in the rest of the country. Larger crowds with large numbers of security forces and the resulting critical situations cannot be excluded and should therefore be avoided, photo and film recordings should be avoided in any case. Support options for people who are not only Austrian nationals but also Iranian nationals are severely restricted in prison cases.
