Many Countries Evacuate Their Diplomats and Advise Citizens to Avoid Travel to Israel and Iran

SadaNews - Many countries evacuated their diplomats from Iran and Israel on Friday and requested their citizens to leave and avoid travel to these countries, as tensions between the two escalate and fears mount over a potential American attack following the third round of negotiations between them in Geneva.

The United States asked its non-essential diplomatic staff at its embassy in Israel to leave. The American embassy did not provide details about the security risks that led to the "permission to depart," which allows affected employees to decide whether to leave or not.

China urged its citizens to leave Iran "as soon as possible" and asked its nationals in Israel to bolster their preparedness, citing a significant rise in security risks in the Middle East.

The British Foreign Office announced the withdrawal of its diplomatic staff from Iran and Tel Aviv and urged its citizens not to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories except for the most essential reasons.

The French Foreign Ministry advised its nationals against traveling to Israel, Jerusalem, and the occupied West Bank, even for tourism or family visits due to the security situation in Iran.

The ministry recommended on its website that French citizens currently there should exercise extreme caution and vigilance, avoid demonstrations and gatherings, and familiarize themselves with shelter locations.

Germany has also advised its citizens not to travel to Israel, stating from its Foreign Ministry, "We strongly advise against traveling to Israel, as it remains in a state of war."

The United States has deployed two aircraft carriers, one being the "Gerald Ford," the largest in the world, which is expected to arrive off the Israeli coast after sailing Thursday from a military base on the Greek island of Crete.

These developments come a day after the third round of talks between Iran and the United States, mediated by Oman in Geneva, which was seen as a last attempt to avoid war despite the waning optimism that prevailed on Thursday after Tehran called on Washington on Friday to "avoid any uncalculated steps and exaggerated demands" in the negotiations.

Iran has threatened to attack American bases in the region if it comes under attack, and this escalation may also involve Israel. The two countries fought a war that lasted 12 days in June 2025.