By Ayomide Otitoju
Israel has temporarily shut down all its diplomatic missions worldwide amid its ongoing military operations in Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.
The closure means consular services are currently unavailable to Israeli citizens abroad. In a statement, the ministry advised Israelis overseas to update their location via an online form and urged those requiring urgent assistance to contact its emergency situation room.
Citing escalating tensions, the ministry also advised citizens abroad to avoid displaying Israeli symbols, refrain from sharing personal or travel details online, and steer clear of large gatherings associated with Israel.
The development follows a major Israeli strike on Iranian territory earlier on Friday, targeting dozens of military installations, including nuclear sites. Iranian state media reported that the attacks killed several senior military officials, including Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed retaliation, warning that Israel had “prepared a bitter fate” for itself.
Ukraine Receives 1,200 Fallen Soldiers’ Remains from Russia
Ukrainian authorities announced Friday the repatriation of 1,200 bodies of fallen soldiers from Russia, marking the second exchange of remains between the warring nations this week.
The handover, facilitated by the International Red Cross, comes after Ukraine on Wednesday received 1,212 bodies in exchange for 27 Russian soldiers. Officials in Kyiv confirmed the arrangement was part of an agreement reached earlier this month in Istanbul to recover over 6,000 fallen troops.
The return of the remains coincided with renewed Russian drone attacks on eastern Ukraine overnight. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, strikes targeted the Sumy and Donetsk regions, triggering air raid alerts.
Ukraine has been battling a full-scale Russian invasion since early 2022. The recovery of its war dead remains a highly sensitive and symbolic issue amid the ongoing conflict.
