Hundreds of Dutch contact Foreign Ministry seeking to leave region after Iran strikes

The Netherlands is closely monitoring the conflict after Israel and the United States launched a military operation against Iran. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported receiving hundreds of calls from Dutch nationals seeking guidance on leaving the region.

Embassies in affected areas remain operational. Dutch citizens are advised to stay indoors, avoid crowded locations and potential targets, and register with the ministry’s information service for updates.

In The Hague, members of the Tweede Kamer responded to the strikes. Kati Piri of GroenLinks-PvdA said the attack risks a regional war with heavy casualties and has “no basis in international law.” She added that “all efforts must now focus on de-escalation and preventing innocent casualties.”

VVD parliamentary leader Ruben Brekelmans called the operation “not unexpected” and said that “the safety of innocent civilians, Dutch citizens there and in the region, and preventing further escalation are more important than ever.”

Hanneke van der Werf of D66 said that toppling a regime through an air war is rarely successful without cooperation with an organized opposition and warned that a military intervention without a long-term plan is “a leap into the dark.”

Michiel Hoogeveen of JA21 said the Iranian people deserve a new government and emphasized that “what matters is whether this intervention actually leads to more security for the region and freedom for the Iranian people.” PVV leader Geert Wilders said he hopes the Iranian leadership is hit hard.

Diederik van Dijk of SGP described the operation as “not unexpected, but still momentous,” adding that he hopes it will lead to freedom for Iranian citizens and an end to “the cruel Islamic terror that has plagued the world for so long.”

Sarah Dobbe of SP called the attack a violation of international law “regardless of what you think of the regime in Iran.” DENK leader Stephan van Baarle said the Dutch government should condemn the attack, adding that “Netanyahu and Trump are plunging the Middle East into war again while negotiations were underway.”

ChristenUnie MP Mirjam Bikker posted on X that “in these tense days, we stand with the brave Iranian people who are brutally oppressed by the ayatollahs.”