French citizens in the northern city of Haifa should exercise caution considering the tensions in the Middle East, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on Wednesday. The remarks were made after a high-profile Iranian official mentioned the northern city by name in a speech following the killing of Iran's top general by the United States.
“Following the recent escalation in tensions in the region, the city of Haifa has been the subject of explicit threats,” it said in a statement, without giving any more precise details.
Mohsen Rezaee, a former chief of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Sunday following the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, that Haifa, Tel Aviv, and other Israeli military centers would be included in Tehran’s retaliation.
“Iran’s revenge against America for the assassination of Soleimani will be severe... Haifa and Israeli military centers will be included in the retaliation,” Rezaei said in a televised speech to a gathering of mourners in Tehran.
The United States on Monday also warned its citizens in Israel and the Palestinian territories to be vigilant, citing the risk of rocket fire days after the U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
The U.S. message said it "strongly encourages U.S. citizens to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness, as security incidents, including rocket fire, often take place without warning."