Syria

Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, days after Tehran said it could close the crucial shipping route and warned it would retaliate for an Israeli strike on its Syria consulate.

Troop reinforcements from Israel's ally the United States headed to the region on Saturday, with fears of wider war growing more than six months into Israel's assault in the Gaza Strip.

After pulling forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis one week ago, Israel's military said Saturday it was continuing to operate against militants in central Gaza.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday seized a container ship "related to the Zionist regime (Israel) in the Gulf," state media reported, as tensions soar in the region.

"A container ship named 'MCS Aries' was seized by the Sepah (Guards) Navy Special Forces by carrying out a heliborne operation," IRNA state news agency reported.

Residents reported heavy Israeli fire in central Gaza on Friday, with regional tensions soaring after Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals.

German airline Lufthansa said Friday its planes would no longer use Iranian airspace as it extended a suspension on flights to and from Tehran amid soaring Middle East tensions.

"Due to the current situation, Lufthansa is suspending its flights to and from Tehran up to and including Thursday, 18 April," a company spokesperson said Friday.

The United States, Britain, and France have issued advisories urging their citizens to avoid travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian territories in the coming days. This caution follows Iran's threat of retaliation after an Israeli airstrike targeted the Iranian consulate in Syria a week and a half ago.

Nadine Maenza, the President of the IRF Secretariat, a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center, and the previous chair of USCIRF, joins Thanos Davelis to look at what a resurgent ISIS means for the region, particularly in the autonomous zone in north east Syria, and break down why we need to put the spotlight on Turkey's role in this ISIS comeback.

Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, issued a stark warning to Iran, asserting that Israel would retaliate with a direct military strike if attacked from Iranian territory. The threat comes amidst escalating tensions between the two nations following a recent airstrike on Iran's consulate in Syria, which claimed the lives of several high-ranking Iranian officials.

China urged the United States to play "a constructive role" in the Middle East on Friday after its top diplomat Wang Yi spoke with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken over the phone.

Israel was on alert Thursday after its arch-foe Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals, and as the war against Hamas ground on in Gaza.