BERLIN. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul admitted that at the moment there is no possibility of bringing German tourists home from the Middle East because airspace is closed.
“We won’t be able to do it because the airspace is closed. We don’t know when people will be able to leave the region. Diplomatic representations are open and we are working to provide people with the best possible information,” Wadephul told Bild newspaper.
Wadephul also recalled that for weeks he had been warned of the danger of traveling to the region.
“That means that those who traveled knew there was a risk,” the minister said.
According to the Foreign Ministry, there are currently around 10,000 Germans in the Persian Gulf area.
The situation in the Middle East faces a major crisis after the United States and Israel attacked key targets in Iran, causing the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Damage to French naval base in Abu Dhabi
Meanwhile, the French Minister of Defense, Catherine Vautrin, reported this Sunday that a hangar at a French naval base in Abu Dhabi, adjacent to another in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), suffered “limited” material damage as a result of an Iranian attack.
“A hangar of our naval base adjacent to that of the United Arab Emirates has been hit in a drone attack directed against the port of Abu Dhabi,” he indicated on his X social network account.
“The damage is only material and limited. There is no need to regret any injuries. Our forces maintain maximum vigilance in the face of a situation that evolves hour by hour,” added the minister.
According to what the French press had already reported during the day, the affected base is the so-called Camp de la Paix (Field of Peace), one of the three that France has in the UAE, where in total there are about 900 French soldiers deployed.
The Emirati Government had also confirmed the attack on its naval base, called Al Salam, which suffered a fire that left no victims.
SOURCE: With EFE information
