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France Tells Nationals Visiting Iran to Leave 'as Soon as Possible'

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader's Office shows Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (front) leading a prayer before the coffins of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard in Tehran, Iran, 01 August 2024. EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader's Office shows Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (front) leading a prayer before the coffins of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard in Tehran, Iran, 01 August 2024. EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE HANDOUT
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France Tells Nationals Visiting Iran to Leave 'as Soon as Possible'

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader's Office shows Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (front) leading a prayer before the coffins of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard in Tehran, Iran, 01 August 2024. EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE HANDOUT
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader's Office shows Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (front) leading a prayer before the coffins of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard in Tehran, Iran, 01 August 2024. EPA/IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER OFFICE HANDOUT

France on Friday urged its nationals visiting Iran to leave immediately, after Tehran accused Israel of killing Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, sparking regional tensions.

"Due to the increased risk of a military escalation in the region, visiting French nationals still in Iran are invited to leave as soon as possible," the foreign ministry said.

Haniyeh’s killing in a pre-dawn attack on Wednesday in Tehran has deepened fears of a regional war.

Tehran, as well as the Iran-backed Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah movements, have blamed Israel, which has not commented.

It has however claimed responsibility for the killing just hours earlier of senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut's southern suburbs.

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Cyprus Prepares to Help People Evacuate from Mideast in Case War Expands

A Middle East Airlines plane flies over Beirut's Ramlet al-Baida beach as it approaches Beirut International Airport on August 2, 2024. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
A Middle East Airlines plane flies over Beirut's Ramlet al-Baida beach as it approaches Beirut International Airport on August 2, 2024. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
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Cyprus Prepares to Help People Evacuate from Mideast in Case War Expands

A Middle East Airlines plane flies over Beirut's Ramlet al-Baida beach as it approaches Beirut International Airport on August 2, 2024. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
A Middle East Airlines plane flies over Beirut's Ramlet al-Baida beach as it approaches Beirut International Airport on August 2, 2024. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)

Cyprus’ foreign minister said Friday that authorities are in touch with the diplomatic missions of nations that may opt to evacuate their citizens through the east Mediterranean island nation if the Israeli-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip expands to engulf neighboring countries.

Minister Constantinos Kombos said agencies have been mobilized as part of the country’s long-standing evacuation action plan called ESTIA. He said there’s a “serious danger” of conflict expanding further, which would affect the entire region.

Kombos said Cyprus’ role is to “operate as a bridge of safety” in the region in the event of mass evacuations of third-country citizens from the Middle East.

Since October, Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged strikes near-daily over the Lebanon-Israel border, killing more than 500 people in Lebanon — including about 100 civilians — and 22 soldiers and 25 civilians in Israel. They include 12 children and teenagers killed by a missile that hit a soccer field in the town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on Saturday.

Israel blamed Hezbollah for the strike; Hezbollah denied responsibility. Days later, Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in a rare strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs for which Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate, triggering fears that the conflict could spiral out of control.

In 2023, Cyprus acted as a waystation for third-country evacuees from Sudan and Israel after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The island nation also helped in the evacuation of tens of thousands of third-country nationals during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict.