Full Analysis Summary
US Iran war fears
Anxiety is growing across the Middle East over the possibility of a war between Iran and the US.
Embassies are evacuating staff and airlines are cancelling flights as tensions mount.
Critical talks over Iran’s nuclear programme entered their second round on Thursday night.
A vast US military buildup continued in the Middle East.
The Trump administration warned of drastic consequences if Iranian negotiators failed to make significant concessions.
Fears of regional escalation
Citizens in the region are bracing after numerous conflicts since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing Israeli war on Gaza.
In Lebanon, people fear the Iran-backed proxy group Hezbollah could enter any war between Washington and Tehran.
Israel has warned that all of Lebanon would suffer if Hezbollah attacked and passed the Lebanese government a message saying critical infrastructure such as Beirut airport would be bombed.
Many Lebanese are taking precautions, delaying travel and stocking up on essentials, and recalling the 13-month war between Lebanon and Israel that killed about 4,000 people and displaced more than a million.
Travel warnings and suspensions
Foreign governments have advised departures and airlines have suspended routes as fears escalated.
Australia told dependants of diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave and offered voluntary departures to dependants of diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan.
The US pulled non-essential officials and eligible family members from its embassy in Lebanon.
Brazil recommended its citizens leave Iran after earlier alerts about Lebanon.
Airlines have repeatedly suspended flights to and over the region.
KLM said it would temporarily suspend flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv as of 1 March.
The article recalls that flights across much of the Middle East were grounded during the 12-day war in June when Iranian ballistic missiles crossed skies.
US-Iran Geneva talks
US officials presented a hard line in Geneva and publicly threatened Iran while Tehran pushed back.
The article reports that the US president, Donald Trump, and his officials say Iran is rebuilding its nuclear weapons programme and must stop.
JD Vance, the vice-president, told reporters: "The principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon."
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said: "I would say that the Iranian insistence on not discussing ballistic missiles is a big, big problem."
Tehran accused Trump of "big lies" and expressed hope negotiations may lead to an agreement.
The article warns another US–Iran war could spill over to Israel and Iranian-backed groups.
It says such a war would further damage tourism-dependent economies such as Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.
People in the region have been following the talks in Geneva with anxiety and sharing updates on family WhatsApp chats.
Reuters contributed to this report.