Israel and Iran conflict: France boosts security, including around Jewish, US sites

PARIS: France is boosting security, including around Jewish and US sites on its territory, because of the conflict between Israel and Iran, the interior minister said in a domestic order sent on Saturday.

“Special vigilance” must be given “to all sites that could be targeted by terrorist or malicious acts by a foreign power,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said in a dispatch to French regional security chiefs that was seen by AFP.

He said security should be heightened around “places of worship, schools, state and institutional buildings, sites with high traffic”, including “festive, cultural or religious gatherings”.

The order applied also to “Israeli and US interests as well as to establishments in the Jewish community”, the order said.

Israel and Iran are engaged in open conflict, firing missiles at targets at the other since Friday, to deadly effect.

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The exchange of fire started when Israel launched massive attacks on Iran, killing senior military commanders and several nuclear scientists, and targeting some of its arch-foe’s nuclear sites.  Israel has killed three more Iranian nuclear scientists, state television reported Saturday, bringing to nine the overall number slain in Israel’s attack on the Islamic republic.

“Three of the country’s nuclear scientists — Ali Bekaei Karimi, Mansour Asgari, and Saeed Borji — were martyred during the Zionist regime’s terrorist attacks,” the broadcaster said. Iranian media had said earlier that six others were killed in the Israeli attack.

Iran retaliated with missile launches, some of which struck Israel’s main city, Tel Aviv.

France is home to the biggest Jewish community in Europe.