Summary of Press Briefing
at the Joint Management and Monitoring Center for the Situation in the Middle East
on 21 March 2026

1. Developments on the Situation in the Middle East
   
   

• The situation in the region remains highly volatile, with continued exchanges of attacks among the main parties to the conflict, including Hezbollah. The strikes have also expanded to energy infrastructure across the region, increasingly affecting global economic stability and energy security.
  
  
• Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz remain high. The U.S. and Israel have conducted military operations near Iran’s coast to reopen maritime routes, while the U.S. has indicated it will deploy additional Marine forces to the Middle East.
  
  
• Most recently, Iranian authorities confirmed that the spokesperson of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
  
  
• For Thailand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on 20 March 2026 regarding the death of a Thai worker in Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, reiterating Thailand’s call for all parties concerned to return to dialogue and diplomacy at the earliest opportunity in order to bring an end to the conflict in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, while ensuring the safety of civilians and the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

2. Developments on Assistance Provided to Thai Nationals in the Area
   
   

• In the case of one Thai worker in Israel who was killed due to an explosion, the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv is closely coordinating with the Israeli authorities to facilitate the repatriation of the remains to Thailand as soon as possible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work closely with the Ministry of Labour to follow up on compensation and related entitlements from the Israeli authorities.
  
  
• Regarding assistance to the 3 Thai crew members aboard the vessel “Mayuree Naree,” as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated yesterday (20 March 2026), the Thai side has coordinated with both the Omani and Iranian authorities to explore possible ways to assist the three crew members. Both countries have acknowledged the request and expressed their readiness to assist as appropriate. At the same time, the concerned Thai agencies have coordinated with the relevant agencies in both Oman and Iran to identify the safest possible approach for providing assistance. However, operations remain constrained by the security situation in the area.
  
  
• Thai nationals in the Middle East are urged to follow official updates closely, regularly assess their safety, and adhere strictly to official advisories.
  
  
• A total of 1,283 Thai nationals have been assisted in departing from the Middle East to Thailand or to third countries.
  
  
• The Government remains firmly committed to assisting Thai nationals affected by the conflict in the Middle East and ensuring their safe departure from high-risk areas at the earliest possible opportunity.