The German army is preparing for evacuation in the Middle East.
Concerns about a regional conflagration in the Middle East are high. Iran's threatened "harsh retaliation" against Israel could be imminent, according to a report. In response, the German military is preparing to evacuate several thousand Germans from Lebanon. An evacuation by sea is also being considered.
The German military is preparing for a large-scale evacuation operation for German citizens in the Middle East. The background to this, as reported by "Der Spiegel", is intelligence information indicating that Iran could launch a retaliatory strike against Israel this week. Analysts are quite certain that the terrorist militia Hezbollah will also launch a massive attack on Israel from Lebanon. Once this happens, it would be difficult to prevent the conflict from escalating, as Israel would have to react.
The military's plans focus mainly on rescuing Germans from Lebanon. The air force has been keeping a small fleet of A400M transport aircraft and the corresponding crews on standby for this purpose for several days. These machines could pick up Germans in Beirut within a few hours, drop them off on the nearby island of Cyprus, and fly back towards the Lebanese capital.
The federal government currently estimates that there are clearly more than 2,000 Germans in Lebanon. Around 2,100 people have registered with the Foreign Office's crisis preparedness list. However, it is assumed in the Foreign Office that there are many more Germans who have not yet registered. In total, it is estimated that there are up to 200,000 people with foreign passports in Lebanon alone, most of whom are US Americans.
As an alternative, an evacuation by sea could also be considered. For this purpose, the frigate "Hamburg", which is currently on a mission south of Greece, could be activated. This ship was also used during the last Lebanon war in 2006 to evacuate Germans, but this route is no longer possible.
Iran threatens "harsh retaliation" against Israel
After the Israeli-struck deadly attack on Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran's leadership has threatened retaliation. Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's death, but Iran holds it responsible, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatening "harsh retaliation".
Just a few hours before Haniyeh's death, Israel also killed Fuad Shukr, the highest-ranking military commander of the Hezbollah militia supported by Tehran, in an attack in Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah then announced "a new phase on all support fronts" against Israel, referring to other groups financed and armed by Iran.
Diplomatic efforts are currently underway at full speed to prevent a feared regional conflagration. The foreign ministers of the G7 countries called on all sides to exercise restraint. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the need to reduce regional tensions in a telephone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
The potential "harsh retaliation" from Iran against Israel, as threatened by their leadership, could escalate into a full-blown 'War with Israel'. The international community is actively engaging in diplomatic efforts to prevent such a conflict, recognizing its potential to ignite a larger regional conflagration.
