Israel-Iran conflict: Ablakwa says the government will evacuate Ghanaians residing in Iran

Following an escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, Ghanaians living in Iran will be evacuated immediately by the Mahama Administration, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. He claims that doing this is necessary to safeguard Ghanaian lives.

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In a post on his X page, Mr Ablakwa said that “To guarantee the safety of our embassy staff, Ghana’s embassy in Tehran has been closed with immediate effect. The evacuation through land borders covers all Ghanaian diplomats, students, professionals, and other compatriots.”

He added that the government is keeping a close eye on events in Israel and will provide advice soon.

“In the interim, we have instructed that embassy operations in Tel Aviv be reduced to the barest minimum, and all Ghanaians in Israel must maintain close communication with our consular department.

“Government assures that no effort would be spared in protecting Ghanaian lives and keeping all Ghanaians out of harm’s way. The Government of Ghana reiterates its demand on both parties to pursue diplomatic options and end hostilities.”

In a related move, President Mahama instructed the Finance and Energy Ministers to think about ways to protect the gains made in bringing down the cost of petroleum products, as the rising tensions between Iran and Israel have started to raise the price of crude oil.

Speaking on June 14 as part of his Thank You Tour of the Savannah Region, President Mahama praised Ghana's recent efforts to stabilize its economy but also issued a warning about the potential effects of world events.
"Ghana is not immune to the shocks of global events, despite the work we have done to stabilize the economy," President Mahama stated. "I've requested that our Finance and Energy Ministers closely monitor developments, model potential effects on our petroleum prices, and develop strategies to safeguard our recent gains," he continued.

He clarified that the recent missile strike between Iran and Israel has caused a significant spike in crude oil prices, which is likely to undermine Ghana's progress in bringing down the cost of petroleum products.

Crude oil prices have begun to rise sharply as a result of recent Middle East events, including a missile exchange between Israel and Iran.