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The State Security Council will meet on Monday morning to assess the impact of the escalating situation in the Middle East on Czechia. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said the 7 a.m. session will address potential repatriations, domestic security and the preparedness of emergency services, the army and intelligence agencies. He stressed that the safety of Czech citizens remains a priority. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) warned the conflict could last weeks and advised against travel to the region. Registrations in the Drozd system are rising, with thousands of Czechs listed, particularly in the United Arab Emirates.

Czechia is not planning to send a repatriation flight to the Middle East at this stage, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) said on Česká televize. He stressed that Czech citizens who need help should contact the Foreign Ministry’s crisis line at +420 222 420 222. Thousands of Czechs are currently in the region, most of them in Dubai, where 2,500 have registered in the Drozd system. Three Czech nationals remain in Iran. Macinka warned against travel to the region and advised citizens to stay in touch with airlines as several countries have closed their airspace.

People in Brno can once again use shared bikes free of charge, as the city resumes support for bikesharing from March 1. The municipality is investing 4.8 million crowns in the scheme, the same amount as last year, and expects the funding to last until the end of September, covering most of the cycling season. Under the programme, users are entitled to two free 30-minute rides per day. Bikes must be returned to official stations listed in the providers’ apps. As in previous years, the services are operated by Rekola and nextbike. Last year, nearly 19,000 people used the system at least once, around 3,000 more than the year before.

Czechia has strongly condemned Iranian missile attacks against countries in the Middle East, calling them unacceptable and a threat to regional and international security. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic said the US and Israeli military operation launched earlier in the day reflected long-standing concerns over the policies of the Iranian regime. According to the ministry, Iran’s support for armed and terrorist groups contributes to instability across the region. Prague explicitly condemned attacks against Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Foreign Ministery warned against travel to the region, saying the operation targeting Iranian nuclear and ballistic facilities could last for weeks.