MFA urges restraint & de-escalation, advises S'poreans to defer travel after Israel attacked Iran

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has encouraged Singaporeans to defer travel to Israel or Iran after early morning strikes on Iran by Israel on Jun. 13.

Escalation of tensions

MFA expressed Singapore's deep concern "about the escalation of tensions in the region" and urged all parties to "exercise restraint and de-escalate".

It also clarified that so far, there were no reports of Singaporeans injured in either Israel or Iran.

Singaporeans are advised to defer travel to either country.

MFA advised Singaporeans already in Israel or Iran to stay indoors and to proceed to safe shelters when alerted, as well as to monitor news outlets closely, "heed local government's advice", and remain vigilant at all times.

They are also encouraged to e-register with MFA.

Singaporeans in Iran who need consular assistance can contact the MFA Duty Office, which is open 24 hours a day, while Singaporeans in Israel can also contact the Singaporean embassy in Tel Aviv.

Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Israel (Tel Aviv)

Address: 28 HaArba’a Street, South Tower (19th floor), Tel Aviv 6473926, Israel

Tel: +972-3-7289334

Emergency Tel: +972-5-0697-6188

Email: [email protected]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office (24 hr)

Address: Tanglin, Singapore 248163

Tel: +65 6379 8800/8855

Email: [email protected]

Airstrikes on nuclear facilities

Israel launched a blistering series of strikes on Iran in the wee hours of Jun. 13, targeting its nuclear facilities and senior military leadership.

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's survival.

Israel's government expected a swift reprisal from Iran, telling citizens to remain close to protected spaces, although by 5pm on Jun. 13, it had rescinded the guidelines.

However, Reuters reported that countries in the region have closed their airspace, likely in anticipation of possible reprisals or other future strikes.

Other than Israel and Iran, Reuters reported that Jordan and Iraq, which are in between the two, have closed their airspace, leaving commercial airlines scrambling to divert or cancel flights.

Israel's actions were deemed "unilateral" by close ally the United States, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying to CNN that he "doesn't want them going in", referring to Israel attacking Iran.

Iran's leaders have reacted angrily to the attacks, with foreign minister Abbas Aragchi, quoted by The Guardian as saying that Israel's attack was a "declaration of war".

Make a deal

The two countries have been at odds for decades, but it is the potential development of an Iranian nuclear weapon that appears to have prompted Israel's strikes.

The U.S. has attempted for decades to stave off a broader conflict in the region, preventing Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which Iran has long held are for civilian power production, not weaponry.

The most comprehensive of these efforts was the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, meant to assist Iran develop its civilian infrastructure, while maintaining oversight over its military nuclear plans, or lack thereof.

The plan was largely rejected by Netanyahu, who has long signalled his willingness to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

It was also rejected by Trump during his first term in office, who instituted a punishing regime of sanctions against Iran.

Nonetheless, Trump's administration has continued to urge Iran to cooperate with inspections to show that they are not developing a nuclear weapon, a call that he reiterated after the strikes.

The Guardian reported that Trump has said he gave Iran "chance after chance to make a deal" and that failure to do so would be "much worse than anything they know".

Referring to Israel's strikes killing several senior Iran military leaders, Trump said: "Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn't know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!"

He urged Iran to "make a deal before there is nothing left".

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Top image via AFP