Around 21,000 Korean nationals are currently staying in the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, officials said Tuesday, adding that the government and the foreign ministry have been in communication to secure their return. Government officials are communicating through various channels to see whether Koreans, including residents and short-term visitors, can be relocated to neighboring countries or be transported back home, they said. "Approximately 21,000 Korean nationals are staying in 13 Middle Eastern countries and about 4,000 short-term visitors are estimated to be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly in Dubai," Rep. Kim Young-bae of the ruling Democratic Party Korea (DPK) said in a press briefing following a meeting between government officials and DP lawmakers at the National Assembly. A total of 59 Koreans, excluding embassy staff, remain in Iran, while another 616 nationals are currently residing in Israel. "It is difficult to assess how long the situation will last so we are first identifying the number of