Iran-Israel tensions: Reactions, travel warnings and calls for restraint

United States

The United States has said it was sending reinforcements to the Middle East as fears grow that Iran could soon launch an attack on Israel.

"We are moving additional assets to the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces," said a US defence official in Washington, a key ally of Israel.

The United States earlier said it had restricted its employees in Israel and their family members from personal travel outside Tel Aviv and other areas amid Iran's threats to retaliate against its regional adversary.

A reportedly imminent attack by Iran on Israel is a real and viable threat, the White House said on Friday, giving no details about any possible timing and reiterating that the US takes its commitments to defend Israel seriously.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby added that the United States is looking at its own force posture in the region in light of Tehran's threat and is watching the situation very closely.

Russia

Russia has called for all countries in the Middle East to show restraint and prevent the region from slipping into complete chaos after tensions were raised by Israel's suspected airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there had been no requests for Russia to mediate between Israel and Iran.

"Right now it is very important for everyone to maintain restraint in order not to lead to a complete destabilisation of the situation in the region, which does not exactly shine with stability and predictability," Peskov said.

"We call on all countries in the region to exercise restraint."

Peskov said the suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate was a violation of all principles of international law.

United Kingdom

UK has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Israel and occupied Palestinian territories over the “possibility of an attack on Israeli territory from Iran,” Foreign Office has said.

In its latest update on Friday, the Foreign Office advised against “all travel” to northern Israel, Gaza, areas near Gaza and the occupied West Bank – excluding East Jerusalem and Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

It also advised against “all but essential travel” to the rest of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

China

China urged the United States to play "a constructive role" in the Middle East on Friday after its top diplomat Wang Yi spoke with his US counterpart Antony Blinken over the phone.

On Friday China confirmed the call had taken place, saying Wang "expressed China's strong condemnation of the attack" while emphasising the "inviolable" right to security of diplomatic institutions and the need to respect the sovereignty of Iran and Syria.

France

France has warned its citizens to "imperatively refrain from travel in the coming days to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories", the foreign minister's entourage told AFP.

France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne at a crisis meeting also asked that family members of French diplomats in Iran be evacuated, and no French civil servants be sent on missions to the listed countries

Poland

Poland's foreign ministry advises against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon, it said in updated travel guidance published.

"It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations, which would cause significant difficulties in leaving these three countries," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Germany

German airline Lufthansa has announced that it was suspending flights to and from the Iranian capital until April 18 due to security concerns. 


"Due to the current situation, Lufthansa is suspending its flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, April 18,” a company spokesperson told German news agency DPA on Friday. 


Lufthansa does not rely solely on government assessments, but evaluates the current security situation itself, and then makes its own decisions, the spokesperson said.

Italy

Italy's foreign affairs minister said he spoke by telephone with his Iranian counterpart on Friday, to urge restraint amid fears of a strike on Israel from Tehran.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a statement that he had appealed to Iran's Hossein Amir-Abdollahian "for moderation".

"We cannot risk escalation at such an extremely volatile stage. All regional actors must show responsibility," Tajani said

Israel

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that Israel and the United States were "shoulder to shoulder" in facing the threat from Iran, after talks with US Central Command chief Michael Kurilla.

"Our enemies think that they can pull apart Israel and the United States, but the opposite is true, they are bringing us together and strengthening our ties",

Gallant said in a statement after the two discussed Iran's threats of retaliation for a deadly air strike on its consulate in Syria widely blamed on Israel.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder."