Japan Issues Travel Alert For Over 50 Countries Amid Middle East Escalation

TOKYO, Feb 21 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- The Japanese Foreign Ministry, in a statement, has warned of potential sudden changes in the Middle East and urged increased caution in more than 50 countries and territories, including the region itself, the United States and several European nations, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

“There is a possibility of a sharp change in the situation in the Middle East. Even outside the region, including the United States, unforeseen incidents related to the situation cannot be ruled out,” the document read.

The ministry warned that a further escalation could lead to airspace closures and airport shutdowns, causing flight cancellations and delays. It urged citizens to monitor updates from multiple sources, avoid US military facilities, and take personal safety precautions.

The advisory applies to Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkiye, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, as well as the United States, Canada, and several European countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Romania.

On February 4, US President Donald Trump said that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "should be very worried", threatening to do "very bad things" to Iran if it decides to resume its nuclear programme at new facilities.

In January, Trump said a "massive armada" was heading towards Iran, adding that he hoped Tehran would agree to negotiate and sign a "fair and equitable" deal involving the complete abandonment of nuclear weapons. The president warned that if no agreement on Iran's nuclear programme was reached, any future US strike on the country would be "far worse" than the previous ones.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI