The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on nationals to “refrain” from traveling to Iran, Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, as Iran threatens to strike Israel, accused of an attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
The head of French diplomacy Stéphane Séjourné “recommends that the French absolutely abstain from traveling in the coming days to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories”, his entourage indicated this Friday, April 12 at the ‘AFP.
“Faced with the risks of military escalation in the Middle East, the minister took the following measures in a crisis meeting: recommendation to the French to absolutely abstain from going in the coming days to Iranin Lebanon, in Israel and in the Palestinian territories”, then confirms the Quai d’Orsay.
The decision comes as Iran threatens to strike Israel, accused of April 1 attack on Iranian consulate in Damascusand was “acted in a crisis meeting”, specifies the minister.
The latter also requested the “return of the families of diplomatic agents from Tehran” as well as “the ban on missions of French civil servants” in these countries.
Fear of escalation in the region
A strike carried out on April 1 on the Iranian consulate in Damascus left 16 dead, including seven members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, according to an NGO.
Iran and Syria blamed Israel for the attack, which has not confirmed its involvement. “The evil regime made a mistake (…) it must be punished and it will be punished,” Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei then threatened in a speech broadcast live on the occasion of Eid el-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz immediately responded in Persian on X to the Iranian head of state.
“If Iran carries out an attack from its territory, Israel will respond and attack Iran,” he said.
Iran had already promised to respond to this strike which further exacerbated regional tensions against a backdrop of war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, supported by Iran.
