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Canada tells citizens to avoid travel to Israel
The Canadian government is warning its citizens against travelling to Israel, saying the regional armed conflict endangers security.
“The security situation can deteriorate further without warning,” Canada says in a travel advisory issued to raise the risk level for travel to Israel.
“If the armed conflict intensifies, it could impact your ability to depart by commercial means. It may result in travel disruptions, including airspace closures and flight cancellations and diversions. You should not rely on the Government of Canada for an assisted departure or evacuation,” the travel advisory says.
France issues travel advisory for Lebanon
The French Foreign Ministry has urged French citizens in Lebanon to leave the country, citing a risk of military escalation in the Middle East.
The ministry also advised French citizens against travelling to Lebanon.
France tells citizens living in Iran to temporarily leave
The ministry has now recommended that French citizens residing in Iran temporarily leave the country, as well, citing the risk of its airspace being closed.
Italy’s top diplomat asks Italian tourists to leave Lebanon
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has asked Italian tourists not to go to Lebanon and for those already in the country to leave on commercial flights “as soon as possible”.
In a post on X, he said the advisory was issued due to “the worsening situation” in a region that is bracing itself for a response to Israeli assassinations in Tehran and Beirut.
We previously reported that France has also asked its own nationals to leave Lebanon as well as Iran given the danger of a military escalation in the Middle East.
Biden hopes Iran will stand down but is uncertain
US President Joe Biden has expressed hope that Iran refrain from acting on its threat to avenge the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran. When asked by reporters whether Iran would stand down, Biden said, “I hope so. I don’t know.”
‘No way Iran can stand down’ after Haniyeh’s killing
Colin Clarke, the director of research at The Soufan Group, told Al Jazeera that Iran has no choice but to respond to Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran.
“There’s no way the Iranians can stand down. They need to save face,” Clarke told Al Jazeera. “The fact that this assassination was conducted on Iranian soil, in Tehran, during what was supposed to be, for the Iranians, a fairly joyous event – the inauguration of their new president – means that the Israelis have essentially forced Iranians to respond.”
And this may be exactly what Netanyahu hoped for, Clarke said.
The analyst added that Iran could launch a direct attack or use one, if not all of the Iran-aligned groups in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary in Iraq.
“I think we’re already in a regional war,” he added. “Now we’re looking at how much further we’re gonna dial up this regional war.”
