Israel tells its citizens to leave Turkey over 'retaliatory attacks' threat from Iran

Israel's security agencies have warned its citizens to immediately leave Turkey due to Iranian threats, according to reports. 

Security officials have directly called and advised more than 100 Israeli citizens living in Turkey to return to Israel, according to The Times of Israel, noting they could be targeted by Iranian attacks in retaliation for the killing of  Revolutionary Guards Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodai earlier this month.

Tehran blames Israel for the killing.

Israel on Monday warned its citizens against travel to Turkey, citing Iranian threats of revenge for the assassination last week of a Revolutionary Guards colonel https://t.co/a012HNO0cY

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) May 30, 2022

The warnings were issued hours after Israel's National Security Council urged citizens against travelling to Turkey, saying in a statement that Tehran could be looking to harm Israelis there, which has been classified as a "high-risk country".

"For several weeks now, and even more so since Iran blamed Israel for the death of the Revolutionary Guards officer last week, there has been growing concern in the defence establishment about Iranian attempts to harm Israeli targets around the world," a statement from the National Security Council said Monday.

Israel's Mossad has reportedly thwarted multiple attacks against senior Israeli officials and business leaders, according to The Times of Israel.

Khodai was shot and killed in broad daylight in front of his home in central Tehran on 22 May.

The Iranian government immediately laid blame on Israel, and Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami said Tehran would "definitely take revenge on our enemies".