The US warned its citizens with an "emergency" code: Leave Lebanon immediately.

The US Embassy in Beirut, in its security advisory to its citizens, used the expression "We encourage those who want to leave Lebanon to buy any suitable ticket, even if the flight is not immediate or their preferred route is not followed."

US CALLS ON CITIZENS TO "LEAVE LEBANON"

Tensions in the region escalated following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran. While Iran and Israel exchanged "war" statements, the US Embassy in Beirut made a noteworthy statement. In the warning issued to its citizens in the country, it was stated that "some airlines have canceled their flights to the region" but commercial flights are still ongoing.

"PURCHASE ANY FLIGHT TICKET"

The warning stated, "We encourage those who want to leave Lebanon to buy any suitable ticket, even if the flight is not immediate or their preferred route is not followed." It was emphasized in the warning that US citizens can apply to the Embassy for financial support, and those who will not leave the country are advised to prepare an "emergency plan."

The US Department of State had previously warned its citizens not to travel to Lebanon due to the increasing tension between Israel and Hezbollah on August 1. Airlines such as the US, the Netherlands, India, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, France, and Poland had announced the cancellation of some flights to Israel and Lebanon due to security reasons following the recent developments in the Middle East.

HANIYEH ASSASSINATION

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Mahmoud Pezeshkian. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced in a statement on July 31 that an attack was carried out on Haniyeh's residence in Tehran. Iran and the Hamas Movement held Israel responsible for the heinous assassination.

Born in a refugee camp in Gaza in 1962, Ismail Haniyeh was an important figure since the establishment of Hamas. Haniyeh, who was imprisoned by Israel several times, survived an assassination attempt by Israel in 2003. After Hamas won the elections three years later, Haniyeh briefly served as the Prime Minister of Palestine. In 2017, he was elected as the head of Hamas' political bureau. Haniyeh led the Hamas delegation in negotiations mediated by Qatar, the US, and Egypt.

Meanwhile, the US has taken action to strengthen Israel's defense against Iran's retaliatory attack plans. Following the increase in tension, the US Department of Defense sent additional warplanes and navy warships to assist Israel's defense. The focus is now on the region.

ONLY 10 KILOMETERS APART

Israeli Army Radio reported that the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt had reached the Strait of Hormuz, which is only 10 km (6.2 miles) away from the Iranian coast.

"WORLD WILL WITNESS VERY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS"

Meanwhile, Iranian media frequently interrupted their broadcasts and started airing military marches. Iranian State Television made a statement saying, "The world will witness very important developments in the coming hours," implying a war with Israel.

"ZIONIST REGIME IS OVER"

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who promised retaliation against Israel after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, pinned the post "Zionist regime is over" on his social media profile.

EXPECTED ATTACK HAS NOT YET OCCURRED

As the all-out war tension between Israel and Iran engulfed the Middle East, the world focused on Tehran's planned attack. While the whole world predicted that Israel would be attacked during the night, the expected attack did not happen. Western intelligence sources say they have detected that Iran is preparing an attack that will start on August 12 and end on August 13. It is reported that Iran's attack will be coordinated with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

SIGNIFICANT DATE

The choice of August 12 and 13 for the attack is quite significant. These dates are days of mourning and fasting for Jews. Tisha B'Av cannot coincide with Saturday, so if such a situation occurs, it is postponed by one day and held on Sunday. The reason for this day to be a day of mourning and fasting is that the Holy Temple of the Jews, the Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, was destroyed twice on the 9th day of the month of Av according to the Hebrew calendar, in 586 BC and 70 AD, and various disasters have always occurred on this day. In this context, intelligence sources speaking to The New York Times state that this attack date was specifically chosen by Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei. The Iranian side also believes that an attack to be carried out on these dates will affect the psychology of the people. Finally, it is expected that Iran's attack on this day will be a surprise for the Israeli side, which is on vacation. Furthermore, it is stated that Iran's main goal is to successfully carry out an attack and regain control in the region, including proxy forces.

ROOM WAS HIT FROM OUTSIDE

Details of the Haniyeh assassination, which set the Middle East on fire, continue to emerge. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that Haniyeh's room was hit by a short-range rocket fired from outside.

ANOTHER ASSASSINATION BY THE ISRAELI ARMY

The Israeli army carried out an airstrike on Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank. It was reported that a moving car was targeted in the attack, which resulted in the death of a total of 5 people. It was revealed that one of those killed in the attack was Haitham Balidi, a senior official of Hamas, which was confirmed by Hamas shortly after.