Iran-Israel tensions: Israel lifts all precautions

On April 15, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said all precautions taken before Iran's attack on the night of April 13 had been lifted.

Israeli children and firefighters take part in a fire simulation exercise at a kindergarten after a rocket fell in Amuka, northern Israel on April 2. Photo: Times of Israel

Restrictive measures, including a ban on schools and educational institutions and outdoor gatherings, took effect on the evening of April 13 as part of Israel's defense plan against Iran's missile and drone attacks.

These precautions were originally scheduled to expire on the evening of April 15 (local time). However, the IDF's Home Front decided to lift these measures at midnight on April 14 after assessing the situation. "As part of the changes, educational activities throughout Israel have been restored. Restrictions on gatherings have also been lifted," the IDF statement said.

Iran and allied armed groups launched drone and missile attacks on Israel on the night of April 13. Iran's Revolutionary Guard later claimed the airstrikes "hit and destroyed important Israeli military targets."

On April 14, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had separate phone calls with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and the European Union's (EU) high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell, discussing current developments in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's SPA news agency reported that during the phone call, the two foreign ministers discussed the escalating developments in the region "in the context of the crisis in the Gaza Strip and its consequences." However, SPA did not provide details of the phone call.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the phone call between Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Mr. Josep Borrell, saying that the two sides discussed important regional and international issues of mutual concern. According to Mr. Amir-Abdollahian, after completing the airstrike campaign on the night of April 13, Iran sent a message confirming that the issue was over, but reiterated the warning that if Israel retaliated, Iran would respond immediately, widely and to the maximum.

KHANH MINH

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