The assassinations of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr have raised significant fears of a major escalation that could lead to a regional war.
Arab and Western countries have intensified their calls for their citizens to leave Lebanon, with some airlines announcing the suspension of their flights amid fears of a full-scale war between Israel, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Iran.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged its citizens not to travel to Lebanon at this time for their safety and requested those residing or present in Lebanon to leave as soon as possible. The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon also urged its citizens wishing to leave to book “any available ticket” and to contact the embassy if they lack funds to return to the United States.
Similarly, the British government urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström announced the suspension of his country’s embassy operations in Beirut and urged its staff to relocate to Cyprus.
The Czech Embassy in Beirut announced on its website the “temporary closure of the consular section.”
Leaving Lebanon and Iran On Sunday, France called on its citizens to leave Lebanon and Iran due to concerns about escalating tensions in the region against the backdrop of the war in Gaza.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised travelers to Lebanon that “in a very volatile security context, we again draw the attention of French nationals to the fact that there are still direct and indirect commercial flights available to France, and we urge them to take measures now to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.” There are an estimated 23,000 French residents in Lebanon, including 21,500 French nationals and their spouses and children registered with the consulate.
Many dual nationals also visit Lebanon every summer.
At the end of July, about ten thousand French nationals were visiting Lebanon, according to a diplomatic source cited by Agence France-Presse.
Temporary Departure from Iran On Sunday, France recommended that its citizens residing in Iran “temporarily leave the country” if they could, considering the possibility of Iranian airspace and airports closing amid heightened tensions with Israel. In an updated travel advisory published by the French Foreign Ministry on Sunday, it stated, “We again urge our citizens to exercise the utmost caution in their movements, avoid any gatherings, and stay updated on current events and any messages or guidance from the French embassy in Iran in the coming days.”
Washington and London The French call comes as Air France and Transavia France decided on Saturday to extend the suspension of their flights to Beirut until at least August 6 “due to the security situation.” Washington and London have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon since Saturday. Sweden also announced the closure of its embassy in Beirut and urged its citizens to leave. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated its travel advisory on Thursday, drawing “the attention of French nationals to the fact that commercial flights to France are still available.”
However, it did not issue instructions to leave the country, while on Sunday, it reiterated that French nationals were “strongly urged” not to travel to Lebanon.
Concerns about a widespread regional conflict in the Middle East are growing, with Iran and its allies vowing to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in an operation attributed to Israel and the assassination of senior Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in an Israeli strike near Beirut.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that his country is at a “very high level” of readiness for any “defensive and offensive” scenario.
