Philippines Prepares to Evacuate Citizens in Middle East

Iranians gather in the northeastern city of Mashhad to pay homage to general Qasem Soleimani and others killed in a US strike, on Jan. 5.

Photographer: Mehdi Jahanghiri/AFP via Getty Images

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to prepare equipment to help evacuate Filipinos in the Middle East in case open hostilities erupt.

Duterte called for an emergency meeting with defense officials on Sunday to discuss how U.S.-Iran tensions could impact on the safety of Philippine citizens in the Middle East, especially those in Iran and Iraq, the Department of Defense said in a statement.