Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on a building close to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, 2024. (Photo by Reuters)

Paris, April 13 (RHC)-- Several countries including France, India, Russia, Poland and the United Kingdom have warned their citizens against traveling to Israel, amid Iran’s expected response to a terrorist strike by the regime on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital earlier this month. 

During a speech in Tehran on Wednesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the Israeli regime “must be punished and will be punished” for its deadly strike on the Iranian diplomatic premises on April 1.

Ayatollah Khamenei said, “The evil Zionist regime committed another mistake ...  and that was the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.”

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on Friday advised its citizens against traveling to Israel, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Britain told its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Israel and Palestine over the “possibility of an attack on Israeli territory from Iran.”

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned against “all travel” to northern Israel, the Gaza Strip, areas near Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry also advised against travel to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon.  “It cannot be ruled out that there will be a sudden escalation of military operations, which would cause significant difficulties in leaving these three countries,” it said in a statement.  “Any escalation may lead to significant restrictions in air traffic and the inability to cross land border crossings.”

Meanwhile, New Delhi called on Indians not to go to Iran and Israel until further notice given the “prevailing situation in the region.”  The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said Indian citizens should observe “utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli military released a statement on Friday in which it warned that the coming days require the Israeli forces “to be alert and prepared.”

U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday:  “We are devoted to the defense of Israel.  We will support Israel.  We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed.”

This comes as Iran has vowed to punish Israel for the April 1 airstrike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus.

The Israeli attack killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers.  Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi were among the seven martyrs of the terrorist attack.