Tensions between Iran and Israel have been growing for days. Tehran had repeatedly threatened to attack. Israel has now taken precautions in this case. The USA once again assured its support.
Following threats from the Iranian leadership following a suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria, fears of Tehran’s retaliation are growing. “We are closely monitoring a planned attack by Iran and its allies on the State of Israel,” Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, according to his office.
Israel is prepared for a possible attack. “In recent days we have strengthened our defense and offensive posture and we are determined to take all necessary measures to defend the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Israel has also “added new capabilities – on the ground, in the air, at sea, in our Intelligence Directorate, within the State of Israel and together with our partners, led by the United States,” Gallant said. “Iran is a terrorist state – the world sees this now more than ever. We are committed to protecting our citizens against this terrorism and we will know how to respond to it.”
School trips canceled Protection instructions for population
Gallant called on the population to follow the instructions of the Army and Homeland Security. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists that from Sunday there should be no school lessons or other educational activities, no holiday camps and no organized excursions. The two-week school holidays for the Jewish festival of Passover begin on Sunday.
Homeland Security also posted additional instructions on its website. These should start on Saturday evening at 11 p.m. local time (10 p.m. CET) and initially last for 48 hours. According to this, up to 1,000 people are allowed to take part in meetings in areas that are not close to the Gaza Strip or Lebanon. In the so-called conflict zones, up to 30 people are allowed to gather outside and up to 300 people inside. At work, citizens should ensure, especially in these areas, that they can quickly reach a shelter if necessary.
USA secures Israel “unwavering support”.
In view of the situation, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assured his Israeli colleague Gallant of the “unwavering support of the USA”. In a phone call, the two discussed “acute regional threats,” US Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said in Washington. Austin made it clear that Israel can count on “the full support of the United States” in defending itself against any attacks by Iran and its proxies.
US President Joe Biden’s security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on the online platform X that he had also spoken to his Israeli counterpart Zachi Hanegbi about events in the Middle East. He also reaffirmed the US’s “iron commitment” to Israel’s security.
US President Joe Biden broke off his weekend trip to the US state of Delaware to go to Washington for consultations. As the White House explained, the president’s discussions with his security team will focus on the situation in the Middle East. Biden had previously said he expected an Iranian attack on Israel to occur “sooner rather than later.” The US will “support Israel, we will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he continued.
The US government also called on Iran to release a seized merchant ship. “We call on Iran to immediately release the ship and its international crew,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson. Watson added: “Hiring a civilian vessel without prior provocation is a blatant violation of international law and an act of piracy by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.” The Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized the merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz that night and justified this with a “connection” to Israel.
German politicians speak out in favor of supporting Israel
Several federal politicians also spoke out in favor of supporting Israel in the event of an Iranian attack. “Should Iran make a serious miscalculation and actually attack Israel directly, Germany will stand by its side – and if necessary also supply weapons to defend Israel against the Iranian regime’s will to destroy,” said the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Nils Schmid, the “Tagesspiegel”.
Union parliamentary group vice-president Johann Wadephul made a similar statement. “The regime there must know that Germany, together with our partners and allies, will oppose this decisively,” he also told the newspaper. “Tightening the sanctions regime is always available.” FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai said that the regime in Tehran has been a financier of terrorism in the region for many years. “The EU needs a new Iran strategy,” he demanded.
Embassies in Tehran with precautionary measures
Germany and other countries took precautions for their embassies in Tehran in view of the tense situation. The relatives of German embassy employees should leave Iran. In addition, further measures were taken, as a spokesman for the Foreign Office announced in Berlin. A crisis team meeting should also take place in the ministry.
The spokesman further explained that a low three-digit number of Germans had entered the “Elefand” crisis preparedness lists. The Foreign Office said that it was assumed that there would be a larger number of German-Iranian dual nationals in Iran. However, there are no confirmed figures available because there is no obligation to report abroad. The Foreign Office had previously asked all German nationals in Iran to leave the country. At the same time, it warned against traveling to Iran. The security situation could deteriorate quickly and without warning.
Austria also called on its compatriots to leave the country. Several countries, including Great Britain and France, had previously issued travel warnings. The Netherlands announced it would close its embassy in Tehran on Sunday. A decision will be made on Sunday as to whether it will reopen on Monday, according to the Dutch Foreign Ministry.
Airlines avoid Iranian airspace
Several airlines also took precautionary measures. Australian airline Qantas Airways temporarily changed the routes of its long-haul flights from Perth to London to avoid Iranian airspace amid rising tensions. As Qantas announced, flight routes will be temporarily adjusted. Customers would be contacted directly if their booking was affected.
With this decision, Qantas followed other airlines such as Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, which are already avoiding Iranian airspace. Lufthansa only announced on Friday evening that it was suspending its flights to Tehran until next Thursday. This was previously scheduled to last until Saturday.
Iran threatens Israel with retaliation for air strike
The background to the increasing tensions between Israel and Iran is an air strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria’s capital Damascus at the beginning of April. 16 people were killed, including two generals and five officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Iran, Syria and Russia blamed Israel for the attack. The spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, then threatened Israel with retaliation.