"I asked the Israeli authorities to guarantee the safety of all Italian soldiers engaged in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon. Israel responded positively to our request. I continue to follow the developments of the crisis in the Middle East."

The Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, wrote this in a tweet, following the continued escalation of tension in the country where, during a massive missile attack, the leader of Hezbollah, Nasrallah, was killed.

In the strip of land between Lebanon and Israel, which is called the Blue Zone, Italian soldiers also operate. A contingent of over 1,200 soldiers led by Army General Stefano Messina and composed mostly of the Sassari Brigade that since last August has taken the place of the Alpine troops of the Taurinense. A significant commitment in the western sector of the operations, in support of the over 10 thousand Unifil soldiers who, for months now, have been in a state of maximum alert.

And if the soldiers (over a thousand Sardinians) remain, the Farnesina has called on civilians to leave the country as soon as possible: "We invite all Italian citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible with the scheduled flights that continue to operate from Beirut airport to Milan and Rome," Tajani said from Berlin, where he is accompanying the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

Iran made its voice heard today. Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Akhtari, Iran's vice president for international affairs, said officials would give permission to deploy troops in Lebanon and on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. "We can send troops to Lebanon to fight against Israel, just like we did in 1981," he said.