Italy’s ITA Airways suspends flights to and from Tel Aviv
Italy’s ITA Airways is suspending flights to and from Israel’s Tel Aviv “due to the geopolitical developments in the Middle East and to ensure the safety of its passengers and crews”, the airline said in a statement on its website.
Flights have been suspended until August 6, it added.
A number of airlines, including Lufthansa, have cancelled or suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut, Lebanon, amid the increase in regional tensions following the assassination of Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
France tells nationals visiting Iran to leave ‘as soon as possible’
The country’s foreign ministry has urged its nationals visiting Iran to leave immediately “Due to the increased risk of a military escalation in the region”.
Iran has promised to avenge the assassination in Tehran of Hamas’s political leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh, which it blames on Israel, prompting fears of further regional conflagration.
France advised its nationals still in Iran “to leave as soon as possible” in light of the current tensions.
Biden weighs more US defenses for Israel as the region prepares for Iranian retaliation
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/01/politics/biden-us-defenses-israel-iranian-retaliation/index.html
President Joe Biden is weighing more US defenses in the Middle East as the US prepares for an Iranian retaliation against Israel that officials say could include an attack on American forces.
In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday, Biden said the US would “support Israel’s defense against threats,” which would include “new defensive US military deployments,” according to a readout of the call.
The statement did not detail what new deployments would occur ahead of an anticipated Iranian attack in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. According to several US officials, the Pentagon has discussed with US Central Command what adjustments to make to US force posture in the region, but no final decision had been made as of Thursday afternoon. The officials said an Iranian response could occur in the coming days.
