Russia cautions residents against visiting Iran, Israel

(MENAFN) Russia’s Foreign Ministry has issued a travel warning advising its citizens against visiting Israel and Iran following recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets. Russian nationals currently in Israel have been urged to leave the country if possible.

The Israeli military launched a series of air raids on various military and nuclear sites across Iran on Friday. Iranian officials confirmed that Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, were killed in the attacks. Media reports also suggest that several other senior Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists were among the casualties.

In an official advisory, the Russian Foreign Ministry recommended that citizens avoid traveling to both Israel and Iran until the situation stabilizes and urged those already in high-risk areas to leave immediately. Earlier, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv had similarly advised Russians with the means to depart Israel promptly.

Additionally, Russia’s civil aviation authority has ordered airlines to suspend all flights to and from Israel and Iran and to avoid their airspaces until at least June 26. Following the escalation, numerous global carriers, including Air France KLM, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Air India, Emirates, and Lufthansa, have begun rerouting flights to avoid the airspaces of Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran. According to Eurocontrol, over 650 flights have been canceled due to the heightened tensions in the region.

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