Japan lowers Level 4 travel warnings in parts of Iraq and Lebanon
Selected areas in Israel and the Palestinian territories have also moved to Level 2, while Iran remains subject to Japan’s highest warning.
- Japan has lowered its travel warning for parts of Iraq and Lebanon from its highest Level 4 (evacuation) to Level 3 (avoid travel).
- The Japanese government based the change on its assessment that conditions in the Middle East have been relatively calm.
- Prior to this revision, the Level 4 evacuation warning had applied to the entirety of both countries.
Parts of Iraq and Lebanon are no longer covered by Japan’s evacuation-level travel warning following revisions announced on Thursday (September 10).
The affected areas are now at Level 3, which advises against travel.
Before the change, Level 4, the category calling for evacuation, applied throughout both countries.
Some locations in Israel and the Palestinian territories have also been shifted down one category, from Level 3 to Level 2.
The lower warning advises people to avoid non-essential journeys, but the revision excludes areas along the Lebanese border and the Gaza Strip.
The Japanese government based the changes on its assessment that conditions across the Middle East had been relatively calm, even though the United States and Iran continued to exchange attacks.
Before Thursday’s announcement, Japan had already reduced alerts for seven countries near Iran, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The earlier action followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran aimed at ending their hostilities.
Japan had been waiting for an opportunity to revise the warnings covering Israel, Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
Iran, meanwhile, remains under a Level 4 alert.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
