Growing regional tension sees Western citizens flee Lebanon
Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today advised against travelling to Iran “absolutely”, due to the country’s internal context and the growing regional tension and security danger.
“Considering the internal context in which the country finds itself and the growing regional tension and security danger, any and all trips to Iran are absolutely discouraged,” reads a notice published on the Portuguese Communities Portal.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also recommends that Portuguese citizens who are in Iran “absent themselves from the country until the situation returns to a climate of less risk.
“Portuguese citizens who are in the country should imperatively refrain from taking part in any kind of demonstration or gathering and stay away from streets and areas where they take place,” the government warns, also advising “Portuguese citizens who are in the country absolutely against travelling to the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, as well as travelling near the borders of Afghanistan and Iraq“.
The regions bordering Armenia and Azerbaijan should also be avoided, particularly near the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Ministry points out that in these situations there is always the possibility of the closure of Iran’s airspace or flight cancellations by many companies, and that communications outside the country are restricted and social networks blocked.
Photographic or other recording is also discouraged, particularly in any obviously non-touristy area.
“Nationals who are in Iranian territory should inform the Consular Section of the Portuguese Embassy in Tehran of their presence at sconsular.teerao@mne.pt, noting their itinerary and emergency contacts,” says the same note.
This sudden increase in tensions between Israel, Iran and their regional allies follows the assassination claimed by Israel of Hezbollah’s military chief, Fouad Chokr, and the death in Tehran of Hamas’ political leader, Ismaïl Haniyeh, in an attack attributed to Israel.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has been quoted by Al Jazeera news service this morning, as saying: “Tehran has not left any attack on its territory unanswered and will not do so in the future (…) Our armed forces will teach the Zionist entity and its main supporter, the United States, a historical lesson.”
Iran’s IRNA state news agency also reported that Ghalibaf, speaking during a parliamentary session, said: “We do not doubt that the people and resistance forces and freedom seekers of the world will be happy with Iran’s smart and crushing response, and the Zionist regime, especially its supporter, the United States, will be forced to regret it.”
Several countries, including France, the United States and the United Kingdom, asked their citizens to leave Lebanon this weekend for fear of an escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah supports the Palestinian Hamas which has been at war with Israel since the latter’s unprecedented attack on the country on October 7 2023.
LUSA/ Aljazeera.com
