Iran, Others Shut Border, Evacuate Citizens Over Iraq's Deadly Unrest

Iran's state television has said o that flights had been halted until further notice because of the unrest there.

The disclosure that Iran closed off its borders to Iraq and urged its citizens to avoid travelling there on Tuesday.

"The border with Iraq has been closed. Due to safety concerns, it is necessary for Iranians to refrain from travelling to Iraq until further notice," state TV quoted Iran's deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi as saying.

Kuwait, meanwhile also called on its citizens to leave Iraq. The country also encouraged those hoping to travel to Iraq to delay their plans.

The Netherlands evacuated its embassy in the Green Zone, Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra also said on Tuesday.

Dubai's carrier Emirates too stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest. The carrier said that it was monitoring the situation closely. It did not say when flights would resume.

The Green Zone clashes between Shiite groups in Iraq spilt into a second day, as the worst fighting in the Iraqi capital for years.

The death toll from the clashes rose to at least 30 people after two days of unrest, officials said.

Iraq’s military has also announced a nationwide curfew, and the caretaker premier suspended Cabinet sessions in response to the violence.