Alarming developments

“Anyone who wants to leave should do so TODAY!”

Trump has assembled the largest US military force in the Middle East since the Iraq War in 2003.(Bild: AP/AFP/KroneKREATIV)

The situation in the Middle East is coming to a head. Calls for evacuation from several countries and the arrival of new US units in Israel – including battle-tested military equipment from past attacks – suggest an imminent escalation of violence with an uncertain outcome ...

As reported, the US is preparing for a major conflict with Iran. Due to the increasing threat of a US military strike against the brutal mullah regime, the American Embassy in Jerusalem has called on its staff to leave Israel immediately.

In an internal email quoted by the New York Times, Ambassador Mike Huckabee emphasized the extreme urgency of the situation on Friday morning. There is great fear of an Iranian retaliatory strike, which could primarily affect Israel.

The decision was made "out of an abundance of caution" after crisis meetings, Huckabee said in the dramatic letter. Anyone who wants to leave "should do so TODAY." Non-military embassy staff were instructed to book flights from Ben Gurion Airport immediately. The priority was to "get out of the country quickly" as the availability of flights in the coming days was uncertain. The destination was initially secondary.

On Friday, Trump appeared open to an agreement in the nuclear dispute with Iran, but did not rule out military force. He was not happy with Iran, but wanted a deal, Trump said. However, Tehran should not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. He did not want to use military force, "but sometimes you have to," the president continued.

Dramatic appeals from several countries
The US State Department has issued an official travel warning for Israel and the West Bank, citing the danger of "terrorism and civil unrest." The US embassy in Lebanon is also already evacuating personnel. The international community reacted with alarm to the threat of escalation. Numerous countries have called on their citizens to leave Iran and to exercise caution throughout the region.

Canada urged its citizens to "leave Iran now if you can do so safely." China, Australia, Poland, Sweden, and India have also issued similar warnings. The UK has already withdrawn its diplomats from Iran. 

The airport in Tel Aviv increasingly resembles a US military base, according to Israeli media reports. On Thursday night, at least nine American tanker planes landed, presumably to support fighter jets, as videos on social media show (see tweet above).

The tanker planes were also used in last year's "Midnight Hammer" operation.(Bild: AP/AFP/KroneKREATIV)

Chinese satellite images also showed the deployment of American F-22 stealth fighters to the Israeli air base Ovda in the south of the country (see tweet below). The elite jets of the US Air Force were already used in last year's Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran.

According to analysts at Times of Israel, the deployment of US fighter jets for operational missions at Israeli bases is unusual and underscores the seriousness of the situation. The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the Israeli coast on Friday.

Civil air traffic restricted
The tense situation is also having a concrete impact on civil aviation. Several airlines have adjusted their connections to the region. Qatar Airways extended the cancellation of flights to Iran, KLM suspended flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv, and the Lufthansa Group also announced flight schedule changes for Israel connections until mid-March.

The background to the escalation is the failure of nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran in Geneva. After six hours of talks on Thursday, there was no breakthrough. Tehran strictly rejects the US demand for a complete dismantling of its nuclear program. While Iranian mediators spoke of further talks, US negotiators remained silent.

The White House says Trump is considering options such as targeted strikes on military and nuclear facilities in Iran to force concessions. If this fails, more comprehensive attacks to bring about regime change cannot be ruled out.

Increased activity at nuclear facilities in Iran
Before Operation Midnight Hammer last year, Iran had around 440 kilograms of uranium with a purity of 60 percent – enough for several nuclear weapons, according to experts, if the material were to be further processed. The whereabouts and condition of these stocks are currently unclear. Since then, Iran has not allowed inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the destroyed sites; experts can only monitor them via satellite.

In recent days, there has apparently been increased activity at several facilities. This was announced by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in a new report in Vienna. Next week, talks are to continue at the technical level in the Austrian capital.

The Foreign Ministry in Vienna does not yet have any details about the talks planned in Vienna. When asked, it said it supports a diplomatic solution and the work of the IAEA. "If the talks in Vienna take place, we will of course provide any support that is needed," said a spokeswoman.