Israel's recent strike on Iran has sent shockwaves through the region as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, raising concerns about potential ripples from the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. Despite the escalating situation, on Friday, residents of Tel Aviv enjoyed a peaceful day on the beach, highlighting the stark contrast between leisure and potential geopolitical threats.
According to British media on April 19, the fuse for the latest escalation was Israel's retaliatory strike against Iran, allegedly launched against a location in the early hours of Friday local time. Although Israeli officials have not disclosed the specific nature of the strike, its effects have reverberated throughout the region, with additional explosions reported in Iraq and Syria, although they have not yet been confirmed by US sources.
Amid escalating regional tensions, Australia has issued a travel warning, urging its citizens to leave Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories amid heightened risks of military retaliation and terrorist attacks.
"The threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks against Israel and its interests in the region is high, and we urge Australians in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territory to leave," the notice reads. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also warned that "a military attack could lead to airspace closures, flight cancellations and diversions, and other travel disruptions."
Iran, reportedly the target of an Israeli strike, denied any missile strikes but admitted that its air defenses had shot down several drones. The city of Isfahan, near the reported site of the incident, is of strategic importance because it houses a controversial refining facility suspected of producing nuclear-weapon-grade uranium. Experts speculate that the choice of Isfahan as a potential target underscores the complexity of the regional geopolitical landscape and Iran's nuclear ambitions.
In response to inquiries about the attack, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the commitment to commit to de-escalation while refraining from commenting on specific events. Similarly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an end to the dangerous cycle of reprisals, urging the international community to stop further escalation before devastating consequences for the region and beyond.
The United States, which was notified in advance of the Israeli blow to Iran, was not recognized by the operation or participated in its execution, citing officials, as saying. NBC and CNN, respectively, citing sources familiar with the matter and a US official, said that Israel had notified Washington in advance of the strike.
Israel told the U.S. on Thursday that it would retaliate against Iran in the coming days, a senior U.S. official told CNN. "We do not endorse this response," the official said, according to CNN. There was no immediate comment on the White House's blow to Israel.
Among the resonances of these calls, several countries, including China, Egypt, Turkey and Germany, have called for de-escalation of tensions, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic solutions to the underlying problems that have fueled the conflict. Despite calls from the international community for restraint, the Israeli military's silence on the reported attacks has further heightened uncertainty in the region.
After the incident, Iran activated its air defense system, which led to a change in commercial flight routes in western Iran. The suspension of flights to major cities such as Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz underscores the direct impact of tensions on civil air travel. However, flight operations at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport have resumed, indicating a gradual return to normalcy in the region amid ongoing uncertainty.
Airlines suspend flights
Currently, the Lufthansa Group has suspended flights to Israel and Iraq. A spokesman told AFP that flights of the group's airlines to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq, had been suspended due to the "current situation."
Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines also decided to suspend flights to the Jordanian capital Amman, Erbil and Tel Aviv on Friday as a "precautionary measure" "to fully reassess the security situation".
"Austrian Airlines continuously monitors and assesses the security situation in the Middle East and is in close contact with the authorities," Austrian Airlines said in a statement. "It is reported that both Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines have suspended flights to and from Tehran until the end of the month.