Itamaraty asks Brazilians to avoid traveling to the Middle East

In the same note, published on social media, Itamaraty asks that non-essential travel to Palestine (in the West Bank), Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia be avoided. The government added that there are, so far, no restrictions on air connections in the countries.

Brazilians abroad

Itamaraty warned Brazilians in these countries to follow the news on the websites and social media of Brazilian embassies in the region and to strictly follow the security recommendations of local authorities.

Among the recommendations, the Brazilian government asks that people avoid crowds and protests, that installations, vehicles or military personnel are not filmed or photographed, “nor attacks or any other events related to the conflict, since such conduct may, in light of local legislation, result in detention”, pointed out Itamaraty.

The ministry also requests that Brazilians not publish, on social media, images, videos or texts related to the conflict that may be considered by local authorities as offensive to national security. “[It is recommended] not to leave your place of residence without making sure that security conditions allow it”, advises the government.

In cases of canceled flights, Brazilians must contact the airline to rebook their tickets. Another guideline is to “check that your travel documents are up to date and valid for at least six months”.

Conflict on the march

The Brazilian Foreign Ministry's recommendations come on a day of new developments in the conflict in the Middle East. This Tuesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that it carried out an attack on the data center of the United States (USA) company Amazon, based in Bahrain.

In a statement, the Bahraini Army confirmed that Iran carried out “illegal attacks against civilians” in the country, without specifying which locations were hit. The Gulf country's military added that it had “successfully” destroyed several Iranian air strikes this Tuesday.

The Iranian military also announced new attacks on US early warning and missile defense radars in Kuwait, at Jaber Air Base. Other targets announced by Iran were US bases in Jordan.

Nuclear complex at risk

The United States Central Command, on the other hand, disclosed that it attacked Iranian military bases, maritime installations, missile and drone launch sites and air defense systems in that country.

President Donald Trump threatened, this Tuesday (21), the Iranian nuclear complex Pickaxe Mountain, close to the Natanz nuclear facilities.

With the escalation of the war in the Middle East, which meant a setback in the agreement between Iran and the USA, the price of oil rose again this week, with the value of a Brent barrel rising around 2% and reaching US$90.