Biden Warns, Lufthansa Reacts: Iran-Israel Tensions Escalate
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany has issued a statement urging citizens of Germany to depart from Iran, as the German embassy in Tehran is reported to have implemented precautionary measures, as reported by BILD.
Simultaneously, the German airline Lufthansa has cancelled all flights to Tehran "in connection with the situation." This decision will remain in effect at least until April 18th. Furthermore, Lufthansa has also opted not to utilise Iranian airspace.
Earlier, American President Joe Biden cautioned Iranian authorities about retaliatory strikes in case of an attack on Israel. Concurrently, he stressed that, in his opinion, an attack would happen "sooner rather than later."
"We are committed to defending Israel; we will assist in its defence," Biden added, emphasising that the US will bolster its military presence in the region due to the escalating situation.
The Wall Street Journal reported a day prior, citing sources, that the Israeli government anticipates an attack from Iran within the next two days. The American television network CBS indicates that Iran could deploy over a hundred drones and dozens of missiles capable of striking military targets on Israeli territory.
Iran accuses the Israeli military of the attack on the Iranian embassy building in Syria, resulting in the deaths of seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including high-ranking leaders.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already stated that Israel ought to be punished for this attack.
Israel prepared on Friday for an attack from Iran or its representatives, as warnings increased regarding retaliation for the killing of a high-ranking officer from the Iranian embassy in Damascus the previous week.
Countries such as India, France, Poland, and Russia have cautioned their citizens against travelling to this region, which is already tense due to the Gaza conflict.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
