Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday urged citizens in Turkey to leave “as soon as possible” over threats that Iranian operatives are actively planning attacks on Israelis in Istanbul.
According to France24, The stark warning comes amid the latest surge in tensions between bitter rivals Iran and Israel, with Tehran blaming the Jewish state for a series of attacks on its nuclear and military infrastructure, inside Iran but also inside Syria.
Lapid made no mention of any alleged Israeli operations against Iranian targets. But, he said, Israelis in Turkey faced “a real and immediate danger” from Iranian agents, citing “several Iranian attempts at carrying out terror attacks against Israelis on holiday in Istanbul”.
“It’s a real and immediate danger,” Lapid told a meeting of lawmakers from his Yesh Atid party, citing “several Iranian attempts at carrying out terror attacks against Israelis on holiday in Istanbul.”
“If you are already in Istanbul, return to Israel as soon as possible,” Lapid said. “If you have planned a flight to Istanbul — cancel. No vacation is worth your life,” he added. “Do not fly to Turkey at all,” unless such travel is “essential,” the foreign minister added.
Iran and Israel are arch rivals and Tehran has accused the Jewish state of carrying out a series of assassinations targeting senior Iranian nuclear and military personnel. Most recently, Iran claimed that Israel was responsible for the killing of Revolutionary Guards Col Sayyad Khodai, who was shot dead outside his Tehran home on May 22.
