Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has publicly expressed gratitude to Turkmenistan for its role in helping repatriate Iranian citizens and for delivering humanitarian assistance during the ongoing conflict, as confirmed by multiple regional and international sources. In a statement posted to his official Telegram channel, Araghchi acknowledged the difficulties many Iranians abroad faced in returning home amid the war.
He thanked the governments of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan for their cooperation in assisting with the evacuation effort.
Turkmenistan’s contribution was significant given its geographic position. According to Caspian News, the country opened four additional border crossings along its Iranian border — at Artyk-Lutfabad, Gaudan-Bajgiran, Akyayla-Incheburun, and Altyn Asyr-Incheburun — in addition to the previously operating Sarakhs crossing, providing an overland route for foreign nationals stranded in Iran. Due to temporary restrictions on Iranian airspace, land routes through neighboring countries became the most accessible option for Iranian tourists and citizens abroad seeking to return home.
Beyond evacuation assistance, Turkmenistan also dispatched humanitarian aid. According to Caliber.az and the Turkmenistan MFA, in accordance with a decree by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, medicines, medical supplies, and other goods were sent to Iran as humanitarian aid — primarily for children — funded by the charitable foundation named after former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The timing coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and the Night of Power (Laylat-ul-Qadr).
Four refrigerated trucks carrying medicine, medical supplies, clothing, and food departed from the Turkmen capital Ashgabat, with the shipment described as a gesture of “friendly and fraternal relations,” as reported by the Times of Central Asia.
The gratitude was also expressed at the diplomatic level. On March 23, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov held a telephone conversation with Araghchi. During the call, Araghchi expressed appreciation for the humanitarian aid sent on behalf of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for children in Iran, noting the importance of this gesture of goodwill.
Iran’s Ambassador to Ashgabat also weighed in separately. Ambassador Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani thanked Turkmenistan for its assistance and emphasized that, thanks to its policy of permanent neutrality, Turkmenistan remains one of Iran’s most important and reliable partners in the region.
Araghchi struck a notably independent tone regarding the aid deliveries. He stated that Iran welcomed assistance from any willing country not out of necessity, but to demonstrate international solidarity with the Iranian people.
Central Asian countries have broadly sought to maintain neutrality during the conflict, preserving ties with Iran while also maintaining relations with Gulf Arab states targeted by Iranian strikes, as noted by Times of Israel. Turkmenistan’s response has been among the most active in the region, reflecting the deep bilateral ties between the two neighbors who share a 1,148-kilometre land border as well as a maritime boundary along the Caspian Sea. /// nCa, 27 March 2026