The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Thursday said it has restricted travel for its staff in Israel, as all U.S. citizens currently in Israel were urged to caution, as fears of a retaliatory attack from Iran increase.
“Security incidents often take place without warning,” the embassy’s security warning said. “The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events.”
The embassy said all U.S. government employees and their family members have been restricted from travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva areas “out of an abundance of caution,” adding that further travel restrictions may be implemented as deemed necessary, including to the Old City of Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The embassy encouraged U.S. citizens in Israel to regularly consult the Travel Advisory and Country Information for Israel as it is being updated, and to remain cautious and aware of one’s personal security at all times.
Other countries, including India, France, and Russia have issued warnings to citizens against visiting the region.
The warning comes after Iran on Tuesday vowed to retaliate for the attack on its embassy in Syria on April 1. Two Iranian generals and five military advisers were killed in the attack that Iran holds Israel responsible for. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that Israel “must be punished and shall be” in an attack that was to be equivalent.
The general sentiment in Israel is that the Ayatollah’s words are not an idle threat. “The revenge will come,” wrote Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s largest newspaper on Friday. “For the moment, the premise is that it will be very soon, in the next few days.”
Israeli leadership has already announced that such an attack will not be left unanswered.
“Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday while visiting an airbase. A direct Iranian attack will be met with “an appropriate Israeli response,” promised Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
However, Reuters reported that Iran has signaled to Washington that, though it will respond to the attack on its embassy, it is not seeking to start a major escalation in the region, and has promised to not act hastily.
A White House spokesperson declined to provide further details but said that the United States has communicated to Iran that it was not involved in the strike on the embassy, Reuters said.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden reiterated that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies remained “ironclad” despite growing criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
