The German government is now planning evacuation flights to the Middle East in light of the escalation in the Iran conflict and the resulting airspace closures and flight cancellations. Aircraft, presumably from Lufthansa, are to fly to Muscat in Oman and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, as the airspace there is still accessible. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) emphasized that safety is the priority and that "vulnerable groups" would be evacuated first. Previously, he had ruled out a rapid evacuation of German citizens and primarily saw the responsibility lying with tour operators and airlines. Around 30,000 customers of German tour operators are affected, and the Federal Foreign Office advises travelers to follow the instructions of the local authorities and remain in their hotels.