Greece is relocating its embassy in Tehran and moving it to Baku in Azerbaijan due to the deteriorating security situation in the Iranian capital amid the US and Israeli attacks, state ERT television reported Thursday.
ERT quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying the operation is underway. This move is described as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of personnel, given the “deteriorating security situation” and the persistent threat of missile activity in the Iranian capital.
Countries closing embassies in Tehran
Greece is part of an accelerating wave of diplomatic “thinning” or complete withdrawals. As of March 12, 2026, the diplomatic presence in Tehran has reached its lowest point in decades. Similar decisions have been reached by:
- The United Kingdom: The FCDO has not only withdrawn dependents but has moved the majority of its core diplomatic staff to Muscat, Oman, maintaining only a “skeleton” consular service in Tehran for emergency cases.
- European Union nations: Several EU members, including France, Germany, and the Netherlands, have shifted their operations to “remote” status. Staff has largely been relocated to neighboring capitals such as Baku, Yerevan (Armenia), or Dubai (UAE) to monitor the situation from a safe distance.
- Australia and Canada: Both nations issued “Do Not Travel” warnings early in the conflict and have suspended on-site embassy operations, advising their citizens that “consular assistance is extremely limited or non-existent” within Iranian borders.
Currently, only a handful of nations, primarily those with strategic ties to Tehran, such as Russia, China, and Syria, maintain fully functional, high-level diplomatic missions in the city.
The situation for Greek nationals in Iran
While the physical embassy is being vacated, the Foreign Ministry notes that the Greek community in Iran is small and primarily composed of embassy staff and their families. As of Thursday, there have been no formal requests for repatriation from private Greek citizens.
By moving to Baku, the Greek diplomatic mission remains in a similar time zone and geographical proximity, allowing them to manage the interests of Greek shipping and any remaining nationals via the Azerbaijani hub.