Finns urged to avoid traveling to Middle East

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Saturday urged the Finnish people to avoid travelling to several Middle East countries following the tension between Israel and Iran.

The ministry updated its travel information to Israel, the Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Iran and urged the people to be refrained from traveling these countries, according to the Director General of Consular Services of the ministry, Jussi Tanner.

“Due to the recent large-scale rocket attacks, it is advised to avoid traveling to Israel for the time being, especially to the southern part of the country to the Gaza border area, to the northern part of the country to the border areas of Lebanon and Syria, and to observe special caution in the West Bank,” Tanner wrote in social media platform X on Saturday evening.

Travelers in the country were advised to follow local media information and to file a travel notification and if necessary, to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' crisis response over phone.

The security situation in the area varies and can change quickly. Passengers and residents in the area are recommended to monitor the security situation and follow the instructions of the authorities.

Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) confirmed in a broadcast statement Saturday night that it had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel.

Israel has been on heightened alert over the past few days following Iranian threats to avenge the killing of seven Iranian officers in its consular building in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, which was carried out by Israel