“We warn against traveling to Iran. Austrians are asked to leave Iran,” it said verbatim. “Especially in the coming days, an increased risk can be expected due to the current tense situation in the region.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry told the APA on Friday evening that there had been a travel warning for the country for some time. What is new is the reference to the increased risk due to the current tense situation. Despite the ongoing travel warning, the AUA also operated flights to Tehran. These were initially suspended on Friday until next Thursday. AUA parent Lufthansa had previously canceled its flights to and from Tehran. In the evening, the German Foreign Ministry also announced that it was calling on nationals to leave Iran.
Tensions between Iran and Israel
The background to the updated travel advice is the growing tensions between Iran and Israel. The mullahs’ regime has announced a retaliatory strike against Israel after senior Iranian commanders were killed at the Iranian embassy in Damascus. According to media reports, the retaliatory strike is imminent. The US Army has therefore increased its troop presence in the region, and US President Joe Biden urgently warned Iran not to attack Israel.
The Foreign Ministry had already adjusted its travel advice for Israel on Thursday. There is still no travel warning for the country, but a “high security risk” (security level 4 of 6). There is a partial travel warning around the Gaza Strip and along the border with Lebanon and Syria, where militias allied with Iran are wreaking havoc.
