Fearing backlash and retaliation, and already very unpopular globally due to the Gaza war, Israel announced Friday it is shutting its embassies around the world, further telling citizens abroad to stay alert and not display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public places. 

The statements were published by the foreign ministry and picked up by Reuters, which detailed of the statements that "Israel would not be providing consular services and urged citizens to cooperate with local security services if faced with hostile activity."

"Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided," Israel's foreign ministry confirmed.

Israeli embassies and consulates around the world took similar actions in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks, and facilitated the return of reservists, and prepared 'rescue flights'.

Last night Israel in a first wave attacked Iranian nuclear sites with some 200 Israeli war planes. Drones were also reportedly launched from within Iran, smuggled in by Israeli intelligence.

Israel is not only currently awaiting likely Iranian ballistic missile retaliation, but possible major protests at its consular and embassy locations abroad.

In some instances over the past couple years, people have tried to attack Israeli embassies, or public events tied to the state of Israel or its officials.

In late May, two Israeli embassy staffers were gunned down Washington DC - outside the Jewish Museum after an event.

The shooter, 31-year old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, had immediately told an officer upon arrest, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza."

Since then, and following reports of vandalism attacks, Israeli and Jewish sites have been on a heightened state of alert, also amid campus and other Gaza-related protests in Europe and the US.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has weighed in what Iran has taking as a declaration of war by Israel. Guterres in a fresh statement warned against "descent into deeper conflict."

"The secretary-general condemns any military escalation in the Middle East," Guterres’s office said Friday. "He is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran’s nuclear program are under way."