TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s 280 nationals in Israel and nine in Iran are safe despite ongoing missile attacks between the two Middle Eastern countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

Taiwanese offices in the region are maintaining contact with residents and providing necessary assistance, according to MOFA spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉). The Taiwan representative office in Tel Aviv is following Israeli government instructions and has asked staff to work from home, per CNA.

The offices in Israel, Iran, and Dubai are closely monitoring developments and keeping watch over Taiwanese nationals living and working in the region. As of Monday, 16 Taiwanese had received assistance to leave Israel, leaving about 280 still in the country, Hsiao said.

The nine Taiwanese currently in Iran include the manager of Taiwan’s trade center in Tehran. While advising Taiwanese nationals to avoid travel to Israel and Iran, MOFA said it would continue offering support to those in the region and adjust its response according to evolving conditions on the ground.