The evacuation of more than 30,000 Spanish citizens affected by the escalating violence in the Middle East is now under way, Spain’s foreign minister has confirmed.

Jose Manuel Albares, Minister for Foreign Affairs, announced that a first group of 175 Spaniards is already en route back to Spain on a commercial flight.

‘Evacuation operations for Spaniards in different countries across the region are now under way,’ Albares said during a press conference following Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

For security reasons, the minister declined to provide operational details, stressing that authorities will release further information once each phase has been completed safely.

Albares explained that the nature of the evacuations varies significantly depending on the country involved.

‘The resources being used, the level of difficulty and the duration of each operation differ greatly from one country to another,’ he said.

‘But we are already deploying all available means – both by land and by air – to repatriate as many Spaniards as possible, as quickly as circumstances allow.’

Spain is coordinating its efforts across multiple countries affected by the regional escalation, with particular attention on areas impacted by Iranian retaliatory attacks.

The initial group of evacuees is flying to Madrid from Abu Dhabi, one of the hubs most affected by the disruption to air travel in the region.

Spanish authorities expect further evacuations to take place later today, with additional citizens set to depart from the United Arab Emirates on onward flights routed via Istanbul.

The Foreign Ministry continues to monitor the situation closely as it works to bring home all Spaniards who wish to leave the conflict zone.