The Israeli military issued a directive on Sunday ordering all off-duty soldiers who are currently in Georgia or Azerbaijan to return to Israel immediately, Israeli Kan news reported.
Both countries are near Iran, though only Azerbaijan shares a direct border with the Islamic Republic. Service members could presumably be in either country on vacation or to visit family.
The order comes as the Israel Defense Forces is placing limitations on servicemembers’ travel abroad amid concerns that Iran could try to get to them as part of its retaliation for the assassination of the Hamas group’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
On Monday, Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar barred servicemembers from traveling abroad, the military said.
The directive applied to career officers and NCOs, not conscripts.
