Israel said considering expanded travel warning amid fears of Iranian revenge attack

Israel is considering issuing travel warnings for additional countries amid concerns Iran may seek to attack Israelis traveling overseas, Channel 12 news reported Sunday.

The network, without citing a source, cited fears that Iran may see Israelis going abroad for the summer as targets for revenge attacks. The network did not specify what nations updated travel advisories could be issued for.

The report comes after the National Security Council revised its travel warning for Turkey last month, saying there was a concrete threat to Israelis by “Iranian terrorist operatives” there and in nearby countries.

The warning followed the assassination of a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, which Iran blamed on Israel.

Khodaei was shot five times in his car by two unidentified gunmen on motorbikes in the middle of Tehran on May 22. He reportedly was involved in killings and abductions outside of Iran, including attempts to target Israelis.

Since Khodaei was killed, another officer in the Quds Force — which oversees the IRGC’s overseas operations — has died in unclear circumstances, as have an engineer at a military site and a scientist who was reportedly involved in developing missiles and drones.

There were also unconfirmed reports of the death of another scientist who worked at the Natanz nuclear facility, which has twice been targeted in sabotage attacks that Iran has blamed on Israel.

According to Channel 12, Israel believes the Iranians have an increased motivation to launch attacks on Israeli targets at the moment, with the IRGC seeking to restore deterrence both within its borders and overseas.

Khodaei’s assassination was the most high-profile killing inside Iran since the November 2020 killing of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Israel, which has not officially commented on the incident, reportedly raised the security alert level at its embassies and consulates around the world, fearing a retaliatory Iranian attack.

An unnamed intelligence official told The New York Times last month that Israel told US officials it was behind the assassination. A senior Israeli MK denied this.