Amman, June 16, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese authorities have provided limited support, prompting a group of 37 Portuguese nationals, who are stranded in Jordan because the airspace was closed after the outbreak of armed conflict between Israel and Iran on Friday, to request greater assistance.
Speaking to Lusa, Carlos Lima, one of the group members who travelled to Jordan on holiday on the 5th, explained that the return flight to Portugal was scheduled for Sunday, but the airline informed travellers that the flight would depart on Monday night.
The airspace is currently closed, after reopening temporarily on Saturday.
The Portuguese, most of whom are elderly, have been in Amman, the Jordanian capital, for the last few days, which lies along the route of the missiles exchanged since Friday between Tel Aviv and Tehran.
Carlos Lima reported that the city frequently heard sirens and missiles flew “at high speed” over the hotel where the Portuguese nationals are staying, “located in one of the tallest buildings in the city of Amman”.
The tourists are “very concerned” and their families in Portugal are “extremely worried”, he said.
“These Portuguese nationals are in the midst of an unprecedented conflict, and experts anticipate varied outcomes and consequences, so it is imperative that the Portuguese authorities immediately ensure their urgent return, and it is up to them to decide how to do so, whether through the scheduled flight or a special rescue operation,” said Carlos Lima.
The Portuguese diplomat noted that, so far, the national authorities had not contacted the group.
Given this lack of contact, the group will attempt to travel by land to southern Jordan today and cross into Egypt, seeking to reach Cairo, from where they will board a flight to Portugal.
“The Portuguese state still needs preparation to support its citizens in a situation like this, at a time when the world is in turmoil, with serious armed conflicts. The Portuguese state does not seem to see this as a priority,” criticised Carlos Lima.
“Our authorities should react differently; the matter is very serious, and it must be a top priority within their institutional obligations,” he maintained.
Lusa contacted a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said that the government has been monitoring the situation of these Portuguese citizens in recent days.
The Israeli attacks, carried out by 200 aircraft against a hundred targets, mainly hit Tehran (north), the uranium enrichment plants in Fordow and Natanz (centre), Mehrabad national airport and several military bases.
Iran retaliated with hundreds of missiles aimed at the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The conflict has left hundreds dead and more than a thousand wounded on both sides.
JH/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
