The Russian Embassy in Tehran has urged its citizens to temporarily avoid travel to Iran due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The warning was issued via the embassy’s Telegram channel on October 2.
This advisory follows a significant missile attack by Iran on Israel on October 1. The attack resulted in at least one death in the West Bank when a missile misfired, hitting a Palestinian area. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a strong retaliation against the more than 180 hypersonic missiles launched at Israel.
In its message, the embassy stated, “Due to the worsening situation around Iran, the Russian Embassy recommends that citizens of the Russian Federation temporarily refrain from travelling to the Islamic Republic of Iran until the situation normalizes.”
During the Iranian missile barrage, several Russian flights were rerouted. This included a plane carrying Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev. Their flight, originally bound for Doha, Qatar, was redirected to Mineralnye Vody, Russia, due to safety concerns, according to RBK Group.
The Russian Embassy in Israel also alerted its dual citizens about the ongoing missile threats but did not explicitly advise against traveling to the country. The embassy stated, “Due to the threat to the safety of the flight of civilian aircraft in Israeli airspace, Russian Aviation recommended Russian airlines refrain from flying to/from airports and in the country’s airspace until a special order.”
Israeli officials have warned that Iran will face consequences for the attack, while Tehran has pledged to retaliate against any future Israeli actions.
These developments have caused significant disruptions in the aviation sector. Iran has restricted flights over its airspace until the morning of October 3.
The Federal Agency for Air Transport of Russia, known as Rosaviatsia, has advised Russian airlines to avoid flights to Iran, Iraq, and Israel, recommending specific time windows for safe travel on October 2-3.
In light of the heightened tensions, Aeroflot has already canceled two scheduled flights to and from Iran.
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