France recalls diplomatic families from Iran, issues travel warnings amid fear of attack on Israel
France has issued new warnings for its citizens and government employees in the Middle East amid fears that Iran is planning on launching an imminent attack against Israel.
While the French government has warned Iran not to escalate, it’s advising its citizens to avoid travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories in the coming days.
Stéphane Séjourné, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, approved the new travel warnings during a crisis meeting on Friday.
The measures also advise families of French diplomats based in Tehran to return to France, and include a “pause of missions by French civil servants” to Iran, Lebanon Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The move by the French government follows the U.S. issuing new security directives to its staff in Israel, restricting their movements. It comes as the White House is warning that there is a high risk Iran may launch an attack on Israel.
Iranian officials have publicly threatened to attack Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian embassy in Syria, killing seven Iranian military advisers, including three senior officials with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
President Biden said that an attack by Iran could happen “sooner rather than later” but added that his message to Tehran was simply, “don’t.”
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