The Netherlands closes its embassy in Iran and consulate in Erbil

Shafaq News/ The Netherlands announced on Saturday that it will close its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Erbil on Sunday amid growing concerns of a potential escalation in the Middle East.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this decision in response to the rising tensions between Iran and Israel."

The advisory on Iraq designated the Kurdistan Region with an orange travel code. It urged travelers to only visit this area (the governorates of Erbil, Al-Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok) if absolutely necessary. 

For the rest of Iraq, the travel advisory raises the alert level to red, indicating a high-risk environment where all travel is strongly discouraged due to safety concerns. The advisory emphasizes the danger posed by violent demonstrations, mainly targeting Western individuals and interests.

Earlier, the US State Department issued a travel advisory, urging Americans in Israel to remain within major cities in Israel, where defense systems like the Iron Dome provide greater protection against incoming attacks. Additional restrictions on travel for US government personnel in Israel are anticipated.

The UK, France, Russia, Germany, and the UK also issued travel warnings.

The warnings stem from Iran's vow to retaliate for the killing of Iranian military officers, including Brig-Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a leader in the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with his deputy and 11 others in a strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital.

Since then, Israel has been on high alert as the potential attack by Iran, anticipated to occur soon.

Notably, Tehran has not disclosed details regarding its response strategy, leaving uncertainty about the extent of its planned actions.