Israeli foreign minister cancels trip to Hungary, Austria

Israel is "closely monitoring a planned attack" by Iran and its proxies in the region, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Saturday, without giving further details on the threat.

In the statement, Gallant said Israelis should heed any orders that might be issued by the military's Homefront Command, which maps incoming missiles and other aerial threats so as to let the public know whether to take shelter.

Israel also called off on Saturday school trips and other youth activities planned for the coming days, the beginning of the Passover festival, and placed the armed forces on full alert due to a possible attack by Iran.

Announcing the measures in a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said dozens of combat planes were airborne as part of the state of readiness.

US President Joe Biden will return to Washington on Saturday afternoon to consult with his national security team about events in the Middle East, cutting short his weekend trip to Delaware, the White House said.

Biden warned on Friday that Iran will launch an attack on Israel "sooner than later."

The US Embassy in Lebanon has warned Americans about “the security environment” in the country and has asked them “to monitor the news for breaking developments.”

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US officials, including President Joe Biden have been warning in the past two days about a potential Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel that could spiral into a wider military confrontation in the region.

“We recommend that U.S. citizens in Lebanon monitor Travel.State.Gov for alerts and the news closely for breaking developments that could affect internal security,” the Embassy announced.

Further, the announcement warned against travel to potentially dangerous part of the country. “U.S. citizens should avoid travel to the Lebanon-Israel border area, the Lebanon-Syria border area, and refugee settlements. In all parts of Lebanon, you should avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings or protests.”

Historically, a large number of American-Lebanese dual nationals have lived in Lebanon, as well as visiting Americans who may be affiliated with the American University of Beirut or other organizations.

Many European countries have either evacuated government employees, their families, or have made preparations for emergency evacuation from certain parts of the Middle East, including Iran. Several European airlines have also temporarily suspended flights to Iran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized a cargo vessel in the Persian Gulf on Saturday claiming that it is Israeli. Apparently, the ship belongs to a company which is partly owned by an Israeli investor.

Follow developments on Iran International's Live coverage of ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.

AMSTERDAM, April 13 (Reuters) - Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins Slot told her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a phone call that Iran should not attack Israel and should take actions to "de-escalate", she said on social media platform X.

"During the conversation I also expressed my great concerns about the ship that was hijacked in the Strait of Hormuz and that these types of actions must stop", she added.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, days after Tehran said it could close the crucial shipping route, and warned it would retaliate for an Israeli strike on its consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus.