Middle East travel warnings expanded as tensions between US and Iran increase | Iran
More countries have told their citizens to leave Iran and the surrounding region as airlines reduce flights due to rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
As a day of critical talks on Iran’s nuclear program begins and the US’s massive military build-up in the Middle East continues, the Trump administration has warned that it could lead to serious consequences if Iranian negotiators do not make significant concessions.
Australia has told dependents of diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave the two countries, the Australian foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
The Australian government has also offered voluntary departures to dependents of diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan, amid what the foreign ministry described as a “deteriorating security situation in the region”.
The United States withdrew nonessential officials and eligible family members from its embassy in Lebanon earlier this week, citing a review of the “security environment.”
The US President and his officials argue that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear weapons program and must stop.
Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters Wednesday: “The principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of the negotiations: “I would say that Iran’s insistence on not discussing ballistic missiles is a very, very big problem.”
Tehran has repeatedly opposed Donald Trump’s combative rhetoric, accusing him of “big lies” and expressing hope that talks could pave the way for a deal.
For weeks, growing fears of a military conflict between the United States and Iran have led airlines to suspend flights to and from countries in the region.
KLM announced that it will temporarily suspend flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv starting March 1. The Dutch arm of airline group Air France KLM did not publicly mention US-Iran tensions on Wednesday, but said in a statement that it was not “commercially or operationally possible” to operate flights to Tel Aviv.
Australia has become the latest government to begin withdrawing dependents of diplomatic and non-essential staff from parts of the Middle East or advising citizens to postpone travel to Iran amid rising tensions.
Cyprus, Germany, India, Poland, Serbia and Sweden told their citizens in Iran to leave the country. Singapore has advised citizens to continue postponing all travel to the country.
Brazil advised its citizens to leave Iran last week, following a similar warning to its citizens in Lebanon in January. The government recommended last year that Brazilians should not travel to the two countries.
Reuters contributed to this report
