A Chinese businesswoman in Lebanon on Tuesday said China's evacuation of its citizens from the Middle East country was swift.
The first batch of 69 Chinese citizens, along with 11 of their foreign family members, have been evacuated from Lebanon and safely arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified in southern Lebanon.
Eliana Ibrahim, president of the China Arab Association for Promoting Cultural and Commercial Exchange, who has lived in Lebanon for over two decades, talked about the latest situation in Lebanon during in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
"We all know Lebanon is in such kind of situation, but really for everybody's life it's quite different. The people in the south of Lebanon, they have to leave their houses. They are sleeping on the street and they're sleeping in the public school which opened by the government to host them. Some of them rent houses in the north of Lebanon or they live in their relatives' houses," she said.
The killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Friday marks a major escalation in the long-running conflict and deepens fears of a wider regional war.
"The only explosion I heard was the one on Friday, the one which was targeting the leader of Hezbollah. That was the huge one and the other explosions, I never heard that," Eliana Ibrahim said.
She said she kept contact with the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon about the evacuation plans. She believes the Chinese authorities have made quick response to the worsening sitution in the Middle East country.
"I was the witness of the 2006 evacuation of the Chinese people in Lebanon. So I shared my experience with the Chinese embassy and I gave them all the support because we have a travel agency. We know from where we can rent buses. So all of this information was already requested by the Chinese embassy one year ago. It's even quicker than I thought," she said.
Cyprus, the closest European Union member state to the Middle East, is a hub for evacuees, having handled an influx of around 60,000 people fleeing the Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006.
Chinese citizens swiftly evacuated from Lebanon amid escalating Israel-Hezbollah crossfire
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
