Russia, Germany, and Britain want Middle Eastern countries to be calm after Israel said it is getting ready to protect itself because of a threat from Iran.
The German airline Lufthansa stopped flying to Tehran, and Russia advised against traveling to the Middle East.
Iran promised to get back at the people who attacked its embassy in Damascus on April 1. This attack killed an important Iranian general and six other Iranian military officers. This has made the situation in the region even more tense because of the war in Gaza.
Israel did not say they did the attack, but the leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that Israel should be punished for the attack. He said it was like an attack on Iran.
Iran’s United Nations mission said that if the UN Security Council had punished the people responsible for the attack, then Iran wouldn’t feel the need to punish them.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is still fighting in Gaza and getting ready for security in other places.
“We will harm anyone who hurts us. ” “We are ready to protect Israel’s security, both by defending and attacking,” he said after visiting an air force base.
Iran has told the US that it will not react quickly to Israel’s attack and will try to avoid making things worse.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that Israel will directly fight back if Iran attacks, according to Gallant’s office.
Fighting has been happening in the Middle East since the Gaza war started. Groups backed by Iran are supporting the Palestinians and attacking from Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq. Tehran has not fought with Israel or the United States, but it has said it supports its friends.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock asked the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to be very careful and not make things worse.
Russia’s government says it’s best for its citizens to avoid going to the Middle East, especially to Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories.
“Everyone needs to be careful not to make the situation in the region worse. It’s not very stable or predictable, so it’s crucial to act responsibly. ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference.
‘Possibility of making a mistake’
British foreign minister David Cameron told Amirabdollahian that Iran should not involve the Middle East in a bigger fight.
Cameron said he is very worried that making a mistake could lead to more fighting.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked to the foreign ministers of Turkey, China, and Saudi Arabia. He told them that it’s not good for anyone if the situation gets worse, and they should tell Iran not to make things worse.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said that Iran is planning to attack Israel. He told the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, that the US is very committed to protecting Israel from these threats from Iran and its allies.
The US thinks Iran might attack Israel, but it probably won’t be a big enough attack to make the US start a war.
Iran is the third biggest oil producer in OPEC. Oil prices are high right now.
On Wednesday night, an Iranian news agency posted a message in Arabic on the X platform saying that the skies over Tehran were closed for military training. Later, they took down the message and said they never posted it.
Lufthansa said they won’t likely fly to Tehran until after April 13th. Austrian Airlines is still planning to fly on Thursday, but they are changing the flight times to avoid the crew having to stay overnight.
Iran’s airspace is an important route for Emirates and Qatar Airways flights to Europe and North America.
Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot and Air Arabia, are some of the airlines that go to Tehran. They have not yet answered requests for comments.