Countries including France, India, Russia and the United Kingdom have warned their citizens against traveling to Israel, the Palestinian territories and, in some cases, the entire region, amid threats of an Iranian attack in response to an attack this month on their consulate. in Damascus. .
Iran has threatened reprisals against Israel for the April 1 attack in the Syrian capital that killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals, prompting fears of an escalation of violence in the Middle East.
The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on Friday advised its citizens not to travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
In a statement on the X media platform, the ministry added that families of diplomats based in Iran will return to France and French civil servants are now prohibited from carrying out any missions in the countries and territories in question.
The UK has told its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Israel and occupied Palestinian territory due to “the possibility of an attack on Israeli territory by Iran”.
In an update, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned against “all travel” to northern Israel, the Gaza Strip, areas near Gaza and the occupied West Bank – excluding occupied East Jerusalem and Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Russia strongly advised its citizens to “refrain from traveling to the region”, highlighting the security risks in Israel, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory.
“The situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, as well as in the ‘Blue Line’ area between Lebanon and Israel remains unstable,” the Foreign Ministry said.
India’s statement covered Iran and Israel, appealing to Indians not to visit the two countries until further notice, taking into account the “prevailing situation in the region”.
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said that Indian citizens in the two countries should observe “maximum precautions regarding their security and restrict their movements to the minimum”.
Separately, Germany’s main airline, Lufthansa, extended the suspension of flights to and from Tehran until Thursday and will not use Iranian airspace during that period.
Real and viable threat, says US
The United States has restricted its employees in Israel and their families from personal travel outside the metropolitan areas of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba.
An Iranian attack on Israel is a “real” and “viable” threat, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday, adding that Washington will ensure that the Israelis “have the that they need and that they are capable of defending themselves.”
The top US commander for the Middle East, General Erik Kurilla, is also in Israel for talks with his military officials about security threats. His trip was postponed from a previously scheduled date “due to recent events,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday.
After Kurilla discussed tensions with Iran with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday, Gallant said the US and Israel stood “shoulder to shoulder” in confronting potential threats.
“We are prepared to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air, in close cooperation with our partners, and we will know how to respond,” added the defense chief.
The Wall Street Journal, citing a person familiar with the matter, reported on Thursday that Israel was preparing for an attack from Iran as early as Friday or Saturday.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from East Jerusalem, said the Israeli army announced it was preparing on all fronts, offensively and defensively.
“A few weeks ago, the Israelis increased their level of alert, calling up reservists and reinforcing air defense systems,” she said, adding that Israeli authorities said they were prepared for anything.
Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip since October 7 and deployed ground forces, killing at least 33,600 Palestinians and injuring more than 76,000. Hamas attacks on October 7 in southern Israel killed more than 1,100 people in that country.
Israel has also stepped up attacks on Iranian personnel and allies in Syria and Lebanon and has negotiated almost daily cross-border fires with the Lebanese group Hezbollah since the start of the war.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
