The US Embassy in Lebanon has warned Americans about “the security environment” in the country and has asked them “to monitor the news for breaking developments.”

US officials, including President Joe Biden have been warning in the past two days about a potential Iranian retaliatory attack against Israel that could spiral into a wider military confrontation in the region.

“We recommend that U.S. citizens in Lebanon monitor Travel.State.Gov for alerts and the news closely for breaking developments that could affect internal security,” the Embassy announced.

Further, the announcement warned against travel to potentially dangerous part of the country. “U.S. citizens should avoid travel to the Lebanon-Israel border area, the Lebanon-Syria border area, and refugee settlements. In all parts of Lebanon, you should avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings or protests.”

Historically, a large number of American-Lebanese dual nationals have lived in Lebanon, as well as visiting Americans who may be affiliated with the American University of Beirut or other organizations.

Many European countries have either evacuated government employees, their families, or have made preparations for emergency evacuation from certain parts of the Middle East, including Iran. Several European airlines have also temporarily suspended flights to Iran.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized a cargo vessel in the Persian Gulf on Saturday claiming that it is Israeli. Apparently, the ship belongs to a company which is partly owned by an Israeli investor.

Follow developments on Iran International's Live coverage of ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.