Overnight, the United States announced a travel ban for its diplomats in Israel, citing concerns of a potential attack by Iran.
The US embassy disclosed that its personnel have been instructed to refrain from traveling outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Beersheba areas “out of an abundance of caution.”
Iran has pledged retaliation, attributing a recent strike on its consulate in Syria, which resulted in 13 casualties, to Israel.
UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has reached out to his Iranian counterpart, urging restraint to prevent further escalation.
While Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the consulate attack, it is widely believed to be involved.
Iran supports various groups in the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which have been known to carry out strikes against Israel.
Among the casualties in the consulate attack were a high-ranking commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force and other military figures.
The incident occurred amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict in Gaza from spreading throughout the region.
President Joe Biden has cautioned that Iran is threatening a “significant attack” and has assured unwavering support for Israel.
Erik Kurilla, the commander overseeing US operations in the Middle East, has traveled to Israel for discussions on security concerns.
Although the visit had been planned earlier, recent developments prompted its acceleration, according to the Pentagon.
Following discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Lord Cameron emphasized the importance of avoiding further violence.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has engaged with foreign ministers from China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to advocate against further escalation.
Concerns linger about potential reprisal attacks from Iran or its proxies, with an Iranian official warning that Israeli embassies are now considered unsafe.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has cautioned that any direct Iranian attack on Israeli territory would elicit a proportional response.
Regarding the travel restrictions, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to disclose specific assessments but emphasized ongoing monitoring of the threat environment in the Middle East, particularly in Israel.
The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Israel, acknowledging the possibility of an attack from Iran and the potential for wider escalation.
Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October, the Foreign Office has advised against travel to many parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Lufthansa, the German airline, has extended its suspension of flights to Tehran until Saturday.
The October attack resulted in gunmen killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages after infiltrating Israel from Gaza.
Israel reports that at least 34 of the 130 remaining hostages in Gaza have been killed.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 33,000 Gazans, mostly civilians, have been killed during Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza.