Over 150 Iranians leave Lebanon amid Middle East tensions
World
The security source said they were being flown to Russia on a Russian plane
BEIRUT (Reuters) - More than 150 Iranian nationals, including diplomats and their families, left Lebanon on Saturday, a senior Lebanese security source told Reuters, after an Israeli military spokesperson threatened "representatives" of Iran in Lebanon.
The security source said they were being flown to Russia on a Russian plane, and that another 20 Iranians had left on Friday following the start of a new war between Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel.
An Israeli military spokesperson on Tuesday told representatives of the Iranian government "still in Lebanon to leave immediately before they are targeted."
Earlier, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that its temporary leadership council has approved the suspension of attacks against neighbouring countries unless an attack on Iran came from those countries.
In a statement, he apologised to the neighbouring states for the recent attacks, emphasizing that Iran has no intention to target other nations.
Pezeshkian also stressed that Iran will not surrender to the United States or Israel, saying that any desire of the enemy for Iran to give up its weapons “will remain unfulfilled.”
The remarks follow recent Iranian strikes on US military bases in neighboring countries in retaliation for American and Israeli attacks, which also resulted in martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and civilian causalities.
