The Foreign Office warns against traveling to Iran and Israel, and in parts also Iraq. Another country is affected - and the situation could change quickly.
Berlin/Tehran – Iran's nighttime attack on Israel has alarmed the global community. The G7 heads of state and government met on April 14th to discuss what was happening. Intensive international work is being done to prevent further escalation. Despite these efforts, official travel warnings were issued in varying degrees for German citizens for Iran, Iraq and Israel. Traveling to Jordan is also not recommended.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) condemned the attack and warned of further escalations. What happens next remains unclear - especially because the voices from Israel contradict each other about how to respond to Iran's attack.
USA, Russia, Türkiye: Several countries are warning of further escalation
US President Joe Biden has assured Israel of the US's full support. However, it appears that he wants to deter Israel from retaliating militarily. According to a report from the news site Axios, Biden has made it clear that he opposes an Israeli counterattack. The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on all parties involved to show restraint. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has informed his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian that further escalation in the region is not desired.
Active travel warnings for Iran and Israel
As a result, the Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for Iran and Israel. German citizens are asked to leave Iran. If possible, they should do so on a commercial flight. However, the international airport in Tehran will remain closed until Monday morning (April 15). It is recommended to keep sufficient supplies of food, water and fuel on hand. In addition, the instructions of local security forces should be followed and the media monitored closely. It is also recommended to register on the Federal Foreign Office's crisis preparedness lists. Britain is reportedly planning to evacuate Britons.
The Foreign Office has continued to update its travel warning for Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The warnings are clear: “We warn against traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories.” After the attacks from Iran, Israel is preparing for a possible exceptional situation.
Jordan: Airspace reopened – partial travel warning for Iraq
Although there is no official travel warning, there is urgent advice from the Foreign Office regarding Jordan: “Traveling to the Syrian-Jordanian border area as well as to the northeast of the country and to the border region with Iraq” is “strongly discouraged,” explains the authority. The airspace has reopened, but further closures or delays cannot be ruled out.
A partial travel warning also applies to Iraq: “We warn against traveling to Iraq – with the exception of the Kurdistan-Iraq region,” informs the Foreign Office. “Non-essential travel to the Kurdistan-Iraq region will be avoided due to the unstable security situation.” The airspace, which was closed on Sunday night, is open again.
(AFP/cat)