Following the outbreak of military hostilities in the Middle East, the first evacuation flights carrying European citizens arrived in their home countries on Thursday. A Lufthansa plane landed in Frankfurt am Main in the morning after picking up passengers from the Omani capital, Muscat. Reports indicate that the tickets cost about 500 Euros per person. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stressed that particularly vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and children, were prioritized in the selection of passengers.
Austria has also intensified its retrieval operation. After the first state-organized flight landed in Vienna on Wednesday evening, further connections from Riyadh and Muscat were announced for Thursday. Since direct flights from the crisis areas are sometimes not possible, travelers from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were first transported by land to safer neighboring countries. Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger coordinates the measures taken by the crisis team.
On a European level, military protection for Cyprus is also being strengthened. Spain joined an initiative to protect the island after a military base there became the target of a drone attack. Germany refrained from sending its own naval units but supports diplomatic efforts for de-escalation. Meanwhile, Tehran warned the European Union against further interference and threatened retaliatory measures.
In Great Britain, the government's stance is causing domestic political debates. Reports suggest that Cabinet members prevented Prime Minister Keir Starmer from granting the USA unrestricted use of British bases for attacks against Iran. This decision met with clear criticism from the US President, straining diplomatic relations between the two allies. The British government justified its decision by citing concerns under international law and the goal of avoiding any further regional expansion of the conflict.
