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Tension in the Middle East French citizens are advised to leave Iran
credit: bloomberg

Nowadays the Middle East is suffering from many difficulties. This is the major reason that France is urging its citizens to leave Iran as soon as possible. A formal warning letter is also issued by the French government. It is against traveling to Iran citing concerns over potential military conflicts in the region. All of this because the French government wants to save its citizens from any conflicts and instability. 

At the same time, the British Foreign Office has recommended to French citizens that no one is allowed to travel to Iran. They have pointed out that British and British-Iranian dual nationals face a significant risk of arrest, questioning, or detention. The British government has noted that simply holding a British passport or having connections to the UK could lead to unwanted attention from Iranian authorities. The aim of the both nations is to protect the lives of their citizens. Also to save people from increasing potential dangers in the Middle East. 

It is good for British people to leave Lebanon now. For this purpose the flights are still available and sign up with the Foreign Office in case they require to be evacuated. 

Gaza is also suffering from many tensions. Joe Biden said to kill Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Friday. This murder also worsened the situation in Gaza. 

Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike on Wednesday. He was killed at the time when he was in Tehran to attend the ceremony of the new president. Biden said the killing “doesn’t help” with peace efforts.

The tension in the Middle East is heightened due to the recent events. The president of the United States, Joe Biden spoke with Israel prime minister Netanyahu to discuss the seriousness of the situation. 

Haniyeh’s death occurred just a day after Israel announced it had killed Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon. Shukr was reportedly behind a deadly attack on a football pitch in the Golan Heights that killed several children and teenagers. In response to the escalating violence, airlines such as Lufthansa and ITA Airways have suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut. 

ITA Airways specifically cited safety concerns and geopolitical instability as reasons for the suspension, which will last until August 6. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that avenging Haniyeh’s death is Iran’s duty, given that it happened in Tehran. Haniyeh’s body was paraded through Iran and is now being flown to Qatar, where he will be buried in Lusail on Friday.

Ismail Haniyeh was more moderate as compared to other leaders of Hamas in Gaza. He was actually based in Qatar. He even took part in many talks in order to agree with Israel for a ceasefire. 

However, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor  requested an arrest warrant for him due to alleged war crimes, just as it did for Netanyahu.

Although Netanyahu’s government refused the claim and said that his government was not responsible for Haniyeh’s death. The government recently gave a statement that Israel has recently dealt severe blows to Iran’s allies, including Hamas and Hezbollah. They have also said that if any attack occurred on Israel then the response will be severe. 

The ongoing tensions between Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah have only heightened fears of a broader conflict, especially given the current situation in Gaza, which has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis.

The recent surge in violence between Israel and Palestine, starting on October 7 with Hamas attacking Israel and resulting in 1,200 deaths and around 250 hostages, has led to severe consequences. 

According to the Gaza health ministry, Israel’s military response has caused the deaths of nearly 40,000 Palestinians and displaced almost the entire population of Gaza, which is about 2.3 million people. This has triggered a major hunger crisis and led to accusations of genocide against Israel, although Israel denies these claims.

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