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American Forces Travel

American Forces Travel℠     is the only official joint services MWR leisure travel website.

American Forces Travel is a joint service initiative combining the efforts of each of the five branches of service (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy. Who is Eligible:  Active military, Guard or Reserve, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired Military, and all eligible MWR patrons.

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What is American Forces Travel?

American Forces Travel (AFT) is a new site launched with Priceline that offers discounted travel prices to military service members and their dependents. Despite there being many unofficial sites that boast discounted travel prices for military, AFT is the ONLY official joint service owned leisure travel service for the military community.

Priceline.com a company with over 20 years of online travel expertise, won out the opportunity to sponsor AFT over other travel discount sites in a competitive bidding process AFT was launched as an initiative by five military branches of service and the Office of the Secretary of Defense to provide a modernized, streamlined method for booking travel and vacation packages for the military community.  Previously, most non-official travel for military had been orchestrated through base tickets and tour offices; AFT provides a platform where military members can search for special travel deals online.

What Sets American Forces Travel Apart From Other Discount Sites?

• AFT boasts up to 60% savings on more than a million hotel deals in more than 76,000 destinations worldwide.
• AFT offers reduced fees for reservation changes and all flights cancellable within 24 hours.  With AFT, there is also free cancellation on post-paid cars as well as cancellation discounts for pre-paid rates.
• AFT offers 24/7 customer support.
• There is a commission that goes towards military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation services and military quality of life programs with each transaction on the AFT site.
• Although Priceline.com offers similar discounts and deals for the general public, Priceline has a special team dedicated to the AFT site to search for the best prices specifically for military members.
• Priceline offers the same lowest price guarantee on AFT as it does on its main site.  If a better price or deal is found for any travel arrangements within 24 hours of booking, Priceline will refund 100% of the price difference.

Who is Eligible to Use American Forces Travel?

• Active duty and dependents
• Full-benefit retirees and dependents
• 100% disabled veterans and dependents
• Medal of Honor recipients and dependents
• American Red Cross and USA-paid personnel serving outside of the US and dependents
• DOD civilians and non-appropriated fund employees

How Do I Sign Up To Use American Forces Travel?

- Visit the American Forces Travel site .

- Select the “Get Started” link from the main page.

- You will be prompted to verify your military status by providing your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your social security number.

- This information does not go through Priceline but is verified against a DOD database.

- Login information is not captured or retained in any way.

What Types of Discounts Does American Forces Travel Offer?

• Travel packages

AFT hopes to also offer discounts on theme parks and other attractions at a future date

Does American Forces Travel Really Deliver Discounts to the Military Community?

A review done by Military.com of the American Forces Travel site uncovered that on travel to San Diego, hotel deals ranging $20-$50 dollars less than prices found on regular travel discount sites and $10-$18 off per day for vehicle rentals.  According to the same review, a round-trip Alaska Airlines flight from Washington, D.C. to San Diego for one February weekend was $354, while on American Forces Travel the same round-trip flight was only $323.  However, non-stop flights for the same weekend could be purchased on United Airlines for $200-$400 less on a travel discount site other than AFT.

Discounts on hotels seems to vary by season and by room type. For example, a cursory search on AFT for hotels in Seattle, WA during the month of August showed variance in discounted prices when compared to prices on other discount travel sites, ranging from prices on AFT being $10-$20 higher than to $10-$30 lower than on other travel sites. It did seem that there were better discounts on searches for double occupancy rooms than on searches for rooms for more than two people, which could signify that when looking for hotels, AFT offers better discounts for groups travelling with less people as opposed to families with children or larger groups.

Discounts on automobile rentals also vary by auto type and rental by day or by week. Cruise prices also appear to vary based on season or berthing type.

In short, there is probably still no substitute for doing the research when one is looking for good deals on travel. AFT probably does offer significant discounts for military members but not necessarily on every travel item nor in every circumstance, so it is still important to search for deals and discounts using various resources. 

It’s important to consider, too, that AFT launched only within the past few months and still has plans to expand its scope and improve its services. It would be well worth providing further analysis after the site has been up and running for a year or two. 

At the very least American Forces Travel puts another discount travel booking tool in the back pockets of military members and their dependents and can be considered a legitimate means to secure the best price for all leisure travel needs.

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Armed forces vacation club.

Armed Forces Vacation Club is a FREE membership club open to Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve and Retired members of the Armed Forces. AFVC provides access to Space-A resort rentals worldwide for just $349* per week – that’s per unit which sleeps 2-8.

Vacations for Heroes. Forget cramped quarters. Get access to Space-A resort rentals worldwide for one low weekly price*. Spread out in family-sized resort accommodations, many of which include:

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Start your search today, you’ve earned it! Go to www.AFVClub.com/Search Top 3 Reasons for becoming an Armed Forces Vacation Club® Member!  

• Free membership for all active duty, reserve, guard and retired members of the Armed Forces 
• Instant access to Space-A resort rentals worldwide for just $349*per week 
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Visit www.AFVClub.com/Welcome to join today, membership is free!

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The Military Wallet

American Forces Travel – Online Travel Discounts

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Update: As of July 16, 2021, all current and former military members* are eligible to use American Forces Travel. *Veterans must have a discharge status of honorable or general under honorable conditions to be eligible for AFT.

American Forces Travel (AFT) is a leisure travel booking website sponsored by the Department of Defense and intended for servicemembers and veterans across all military branches. Through American Forces Travel, eligible users are able to find steeply discounted rates on airfare, cruises, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, and event tickets (concert, sporting, theatre).

Launched in 2019, AFT is a Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program that enables servicemembers and veterans to easily search for and view leisure travel discounts and benefits exclusively available to military members, those affiliated with the Department of Defense, and eligible family members.

Why Should I Try American Forces Travel?

Convenience.

American Forces Travel offers an attractive and convenient alternative to in-person MWR facilities and Information Tickets & Travel (ITT) offices located on military installations because it can be reached 24/7 online and offers around-the-clock military traveler support. Additionally, AFT has broader eligibility criteria than in-person MWR sites; therefore, some groups who may not be eligible to benefit from MWR services on-site may be eligible to avail themselves of AFT instead.

Helps to Fund Other MWR Programs

Booking through American Forces Travel also helps to fund other MWR programs, since commissions from each booking are reinvested at no cost to users.

Lower Booking Fees

American Forces Travel has lower booking fees than other commercial travel websites and offers a “best price guarantee.” For cruises, they even offer a 110% best price guarantee , meaning that if you find a cheaper cruise within 48-hours of booking with American Forces Travel, they will refund 110% of the difference.

Exclusive Offers and Military Rates

Unlike other discount travel sites, American Forces Travel has exclusive offers and military rates, which means less time spent calling airlines and hotels inquiring about military offers.

Greater Global Reach

Users can book domestic and international travel to over 71,000 locations courtesy of American Forces Travel.

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How Does It Work?

The American Forces Travel website is extremely user-friendly, owed largely in part to its partner — Priceline . Priceline.com has been a long-time leader in online travel services — which acts as the service provider. However, not all of the deals offered commercially through Priceline are identical to those on AFT, since Priceline has a specific team in place to negotiate additional deals for military members and affiliates.

In order to book leisure travel through the online platform, users will first have to verify their eligibility, which requires some personal information (last name, birth date, and the last four digits of the user’s Social Security number).

The website will search the DEERS database in order to verify eligibility, so be sure to keep your information in DEERS up to date prior to using the AFT page. After eligibility is established, you’re free to access AFT to search for discounted travel and leisure options.

Am I Eligible to Use American Forces Travel?

Currently, AFT is available to military servicemembers and those affiliated with the Department of Defense, including:

• Active duty servicemembers (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, and Coast Guard Auxiliary Active Duty)
• Members of Reserve components and National Guard
• Retired military (including retirement-eligible Reservists and Guardsmen)
• Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipients ; former prisoners of war
• Veterans with service-connected disabilities
• Department of Defense civilians serving outside the United States
• Active duty and retired U.S. Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees
• Full-time, paid employees of the American Red Cross and United Service Organizations (USO) serving at overseas U.S. DoD installations
• Officially sponsored, eligible family members ( ID card holders)
• Approved primary family caregivers of eligible veterans
• All Veterans of the United States Armed Forces with a discharge status of honorable or general under honorable conditions.

However, eligibility criteria are expanding and AFT will soon (specific dates still unknown) be available to all Department of Defense civilians serving within the United States as well as all Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) civilians registered in DEERS.

American Forces Travel should not be confused with Armed Forces Vacation Club , another discount travel option for military members and veterans. AFVC offers discounted hotel and resort stays.

About Post Author

Meaghan Doherty Myers

Meaghan Doherty Myers is a freelance writer, specializing in military benefits, personal finance, and defense and security issues. She holds an M.A. in Strategic Studies and International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and recently graduated from the Russian language program at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. She is an Army spouse, a former ballet dancer, and a former management consultant who lives with her husband and daughter in Alexandria, VA.

See author's posts

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While there are many resources for active duty military members, it gets a little confusing when you become a veteran. Although there are several options for veterans’ vacations, airfare and even cellphone discounts, there may be additional stipulations for those looking to save.

Let’s look at some of the best travel resources for veterans, whether you’re retired, have a disability or just finished your time in the armed forces.

Flight discounts for Veterans

Even if you’re no longer active duty, there are a few special flights for veterans, including the opportunity to fly to Washington, D.C.

Space-A travel

Space-A travel is available to those who are on active duty. These flights can be limited, but they allow service members the ability to catch flights for free.

Space-A travel is also available to certain veterans. This includes retired veterans and those who are permanently 100% disabled.

Veteran airline discounts abound, but Space-A travel is among the best. Note that veterans flying Space-A are limited in their destinations and lower on the priority list than active-duty members.

Honor Flights

Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization that offers flights for veterans. Those who have served in the military can receive a complimentary trip to Washington, D.C., to be honored for their service.

Airline discounts

Many airlines offer discounts to veterans. Most of these are via Veterans Advantage, whose VetRewards program costs money but provides 5% discounts on airfare with many airlines.

You don’t have to be a disabled veteran to get flight discounts with Veterans Advantage. You can be active duty, a veteran or even an immediate family member of someone who’s served.

» Learn more: 0% APR and waived fees: Credit card benefits for active-duty military

Veteran discounts on hotels

It’s easy to find hotels with veteran discounts and even free vacations for disabled veterans — though that’s not usually a requirement.

American Forces Travel

American Forces Travel is a website offering comprehensive travel discounts to those who are or have been in the military. You’ll need to verify your information before accessing the website, after which you’ll be entitled to exclusive discounts on hotels, flights, rental cars, and even event tickets.

Armed Forces Vacation Club

The Armed Forces Vacation Club is available to active-duty members and veterans and can provide great discounts on vacations.

Once registered, you can book hotels and vacation rentals for cheap — and we mean really cheap. Think “seven nights in a condo near Orlando, Florida for $400” cheap. There’s a standard membership for free, but premium members are entitled to bigger discounts.

» Learn more: 3 military travel discounts you won’t want to miss

Nonprofit organizations

Many organizations in the United States enjoy recognizing veterans, which is why you’ll find many offering free retreats, resorts and hotel stays around the world.

In Honor of Our Troops (IHOOT) is just one of these; eligible service members and veterans can enjoy a free stay at participating properties.

MWR properties

Those who’ve been in the military will no doubt remember the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program. Whether you hung out in its rec room or rented low-cost camping equipment, stopping by the MWR office was probably a common occurrence.

Eligible veterans will be happy to know that Armed Forces Recreation Center resorts (AFRC) are bookable even after they leave the military. Popular options include the Shades of Green resort at Walt Disney World and the Hale Koa Hotel in Hawaii.

Other hotel discounts

Veterans Advantage also has a list of hotel chains available for discounts, including Wyndham, Marriott and Hilton.

» Learn more: VA disability pay rates 2023 & 2024: Charts and examples

Other travel discounts

Travel costs aren’t limited to flights and accommodations. If you’re looking to go on vacation, here are some other veteran-specific discounts to look out for.

Many cellphone providers give discounts to active-duty military and veterans. T-Mobile’s veteran discount is among the best. You’ll have access to military-specific phone plans with pricing up to 40% off standard rates.

Verizon also offers a military discount that extends to veterans, but it’s not quite as generous. Once verified, planholders can save up to $25 per month on eligible plans.

Finally, AT&T offers military members and veterans 25% off phone plans.

While most airlines are willing to offer benefits only to active-duty military personnel, Allegiant Air stands out . This is thanks to the incredible perks that veterans (and active-duty members) receive.

As a low-cost airline, Allegiant charges for overhead carry-ons and checked bags. However, veterans are entitled to two free checked bags, a free carry-on and a free pet in the cabin when flying with Allegiant.

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Tickets, tours and other attractions

American Forces Travel offers discounted tickets to all veterans, whether or not they’re disabled. The same is true of GOVX, which discounts tickets and other items, including travel purchases.

If you’re a veteran with a disability, you have access to the MWR program and its ticket office, which can provide incredible savings on tickets, tours and other activities.

Depending on your level of service connection, you can save up to half off popular attractions such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando.

» Learn more: The best ways to buy Disney tickets

If you’re looking for veteran travel resources

We’ve broken down some of the best travel benefits available to veterans, whether you spent 20 years in the military or got out after your first enlistment.

Just because you’re no longer serving doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve recognition. There are several businesses and nonprofit organizations offering discounts, no matter how long you spent saluting officers.

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Central Armed Forces Museum - any English options ? - Moscow Forum

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Central Armed Forces Museum - any English options ?

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Planning on visiting in July - translator and tours seem expensive and long. Does the museum have any tour books or audio guides in English ?

Not that I am aware of? But maybe things have changed in the last few to several years? AIM.

Tours in English are present on the site. 3500 rubles for up to 20 people.

No info about audioguides.

http://www.cmaf.ru/visitor/tours/

I don't recall seeing any audio guides. You can hire a guide from Patriarchy Dom tours for a private tour for $28USD an a hour (in Rubles).

If you are reasonably familiar with military hardware, I think you can get by fairly well without an English tour. ( if you don't need an interpreter to tell you that the thing in front of you is a T-34 Tank) !

there are different flavors of t34s

also you could be staring at Stalin's own gun and not knowing

True Vladchan. My point is that a military enthusiast who does not read Russian, may actually know more about many exhibits, than an interpreter who is unfamaliar with Military hardware. I first visited when I did not know Russian (was only able to read the basic Cyrillic characters) but ended up explaining many of the exhibits to my Russian friend, who took me to the Museum. (I am a military history buff and have read extensively on the Great Patriotic war)

My subsequent visit, when I did have a working knowledge of Russian, did not add very much more to my understanding.

That said, the best option is an English guided tour from a knowledgable person, but I did not think that was available, at least years ago when I visited.

You can become a guide there make a few rubles on the side, nothing wrong with that!

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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U.S. Targets Unlikely to Be on List in Possible Iranian Attack, Officials Say

In anticipation of the Iranian strikes, several countries, including the United States, issued new guidelines to their citizens about travel in Israel and the surrounding region.

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By Eric Schmitt ,  Farnaz Fassihi ,  Aaron Boxerman and Thomas Fuller

American intelligence analysts and officials said on Friday that they expected Iran to strike multiple targets inside Israel within the next few days in retaliation for an Israeli bombing in the Syrian capital on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian commanders.

The United States, Israel’s pre-eminent ally, has military forces in several places across the Middle East. But Iran is not expected to target them in order to avoid a direct conflict with the United States, according to U.S. and Iranian officials who spoke anonymously about the expected attacks, which they were not authorized to discuss publicly.

Any Iranian strike inside Israel would be a watershed moment in the decades of hostilities between the two nations that would most likely open a volatile new chapter in the region. Israel and Iran do not maintain any direct channels of communication, making the chances far greater that each side could misread the other’s intentions. And an Iranian attack would heighten the risk of a wider conflict that could drag in multiple countries, including the United States.

In remarks to reporters on Friday, President Biden said that he expected a military attack against Israel “sooner than later,” and that his message to Iran was “don’t.”

“We are devoted to the defense of Israel,” he added. “We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed.”

In anticipation of an Iranian strike, several countries, including the United States, have issued new guidelines to their citizens for travel in Israel and the surrounding region. The Israeli military said its forces were on high alert.

The U.S. State Department barred its employees on Thursday from traveling to large parts of Israel, the first time the U.S. government has restricted its employees’ movement this way since the war in Gaza began more than six months ago.

On Thursday, Britain told its citizens that they “should consider leaving” Israel and the Palestinian territories “if it is safe to do so.” On Friday, India told its citizens “not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice.” And France advised people not to travel to Israel, Iran or Lebanon, and evacuated the families of French diplomats from Iran.

Details about Iran’s potential attack on Israel are closely guarded, but American and Israeli officials have assessed that it might involve drones and missiles. Iran has the largest arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones in the Middle East, including cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles, experts say, as well as short-range and long-range ballistic missiles with ranges up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,250 miles).

Iran also has a large inventory of drones that have a range of about 1,200 to 1,550 miles and are capable of flying low to evade radar.

The exact form an attack on Israel might take, what kinds of targets would be involved and the precise timing all remain unclear.

The top American military commander for the Middle East, Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, traveled to Israel this week to coordinate a response should Iran attack, U.S. officials said.

“Our enemies think that they will divide Israel and the United States,” the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said in a statement on Friday, after meeting with General Kurilla. “They are connecting us and are strengthening the relationship between us.”

If Iran attacks, he added, “we will know how to respond.”

On Thursday, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the armed forces were “highly alert and prepared” for any action from Iran.

Iran has publicly and repeatedly vowed revenge for the April 1 airstrike on its embassy complex in the Syrian capital, Damascus, which killed three generals and four officers from its elite Quds Force, an arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

But analysts say Iranian leaders want to calibrate their response so that it is big enough to send a message at home and abroad that Iran is not impotent in the face of conflict, but not so big that it spirals into a full-fledged war with Israel or draws an American attack.

In the first months of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Iran-backed militias regularly attacked U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. But after a drone strike killed three Americans in Jordan in January and the United States launched retaliatory strikes , Iran stopped the attacks by its proxies, fearing a more powerful U.S. response.

Despite the clashes and hostile rhetoric, both Iranian and U.S. leaders have made it clear they want to avoid an all-out war.

John F. Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesman, told reporters on Friday, “We are certainly mindful of a very public and what we consider to be a very credible threat made by Iran in terms of potential attacks on Israel, and that we are in constant communication with our Israeli counterparts about making sure that they can defend themselves against those kinds of attacks.”

How Israel would respond to an Iranian attack on its soil is unclear. The Israeli military “continues to monitor closely what is happening in Iran and different arenas,” Herzi Halevi, chief of the Israeli general staff, said in a statement on Friday. He added, “Our forces are prepared and ready at all times and for any scenario.”

Iran believes it can generate international support for a retaliatory strike by focusing attention on the attack against its embassy complex and arguing that it was merely defending itself, the Iranian officials said.

International law generally treats embassies and consulates as exempt from attacks. But Israeli officials have argued that the building they destroyed was diplomatic in name only, and was being used as a Revolutionary Guards base, as evidenced by the high-level commanders who were meeting there when they were killed.

A strategist for the Revolutionary Guards said Iran wanted to take advantage of the widening rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Mr. Biden over Israel’s conduct of the war against Hamas — and not unite them in hostility to Iran.

The Biden administration has not only criticized the level of death and destruction wrought by Israeli forces in Gaza, it has also voiced fears that increased clashes across Israel’s northern borders, primarily with Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, could escalate into a broader regional war.

In an apparent response to international pressure , including from the United States, to do more to alleviate the hunger and deprivation produced by the war in Gaza, the Israeli military said on Friday that it had begun allowing humanitarian aid trucks to enter northern Gaza through a new crossing.

The military did not specify the location of the new crossing, and it remained unclear how many trucks had crossed, what aid agency they belonged to and when the crossing might be open for wider use.

Jamie McGoldrick, a top U.N. relief official in Jerusalem, said that U.N. officials planned to head to the crossing on Saturday to examine it. He said the crossing would be a significant improvement “if it can go to scale and is not temporary.”

After Israeli strikes killed seven aid workers on April 1, Mr. Biden told Mr. Netanyahu by phone that the United States could withhold military support for Israel unless it did more to protect civilians and ensure adequate supplies for Palestinian civilians.

Mr. Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, pledged on Wednesday to “flood Gaza with aid” and said he expected to ultimately see 500 relief trucks entering the enclave on a daily basis. U.N. figures show that an average of about 110 aid trucks have entered Gaza daily since the war began on Oct. 7.

Mr. Gallant also said that Israel would soon open the port of Ashdod, an Israeli city north of Gaza, to accept aid shipments, without providing a time frame.

Liam Stack contributed reporting.

Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times, focusing on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism issues overseas, topics he has reported on for more than three decades. More about Eric Schmitt

Farnaz Fassihi is the United Nations bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of the organization, and also covers Iran and the shadow war between Iran and Israel. She is based in New York. More about Farnaz Fassihi

Aaron Boxerman is a Times reporting fellow with a focus on international news. More about Aaron Boxerman

Thomas Fuller , a Page One Correspondent for The Times, writes and rewrites stories for the front page. More about Thomas Fuller

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Dozens of Israelis and Palestinians were wounded  after an Israeli teenager's disappearance led to riots in the West Bank. Israeli forces later found the boy’s corpse, and the military said, without providing evidence, that he had been “murdered in a terrorist attack.”

A coalition of a dozen liberal organizations and labor unions sent a letter to the White House demanding that Biden end military aid to Israel until it lifts restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza , the latest indicator of shifting mainstream Democratic opinion on the war.

The Israeli military announced what it called a precise operation to kill members of Hamas in Gaza , a day after a strike there killed three sons  of one of the most senior leaders of the group.

Mobilizing the American Left: As the death toll in Gaza climbed, the pro-Palestinian movement grew into a powerful, if disjointed, political force in the United States . Democrats are feeling the pressure.

Riding Rage Over Israel: Jackson Hinkle’s incendiary commentary  has generated over two million new followers on X since October — a surge that some researchers say is aided by inauthentic accounts by the online celebrity.

Psychedelics and Trauma: Thousands of festival-goers were using mind-altering substances when Hamas-led fighters attacked on Oct 7. Now, scientists are studying the effects of such drugs at a moment of trauma .

Turmoil at J Street: The war in Gaza has raised serious concerns within the Jewish political advocacy group about its ability to hold a middle position  without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left.

Middle East latest: Failed attack was 'double defeat' for Iran, Cameron says - as UN warns of 'devastating conflict'

Iran revealed its "malign" nature with its "failed" attack on Israel, Lord Cameron has told Sky News. As the Israeli war cabinet weighs its response, the UN chief has warned the Middle East faces "a real danger of a devastating, full-scale conflict".

Monday 15 April 2024 12:44, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• Big picture: All you need to know about Middle East crisis after Iranian attack
• Attack was 'double defeat' for Iran, Cameron says - as he urges Israel not to escalate
• Alistair Bunkall analysis: Cameron not shy in message to Israel, but will they listen?
• Middle East 'is on the brink', UN chief warns
• Michael Clarke analysis: Missile strike, air attack, diplomacy: How will Israel respond?
• Podcast:  What happens next?
• Live reporting by Bhvishya Patel  and Katie Williams

The Middle East is stood "on the edge of the cliff", the European Union's foreign policy chief has said. 

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell  told Spanish radio station Onda Cero: "We're on the edge of the cliff and we have to move away from it.

 "We have to step on the brakes and reverse gear."

Mr Borrell said he expected a response from Israel to the attack by Iran but hoped it would not spark further escalation.

He also said there was "profound division" within Israel's right-wing governing coalition between hardliners seeking fierce retaliation and a "more moderate and sensible" faction.

Germany has summoned Iran's ambassador following Tehran's weekend missile and drone attack against Israel, according to a foreign ministry spokesperson in Berlin.

"The meeting is currently taking place," the spokesperson added.

Earlier today, German's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel's "defensive victory" over Iran must be secured with diplomatic means and all sides must work to prevent an escalation.

She said: "Israel has won defensively thanks to its strong air defence and the efforts of the US, Britain and Arabic states.

"Now we must prevent an escalation in the region."

Qatar Airways has resumed scheduled flights to Iran after the Iranian attack on Israel forced several airlines to cancel or reroute flights in the Middle East.

Airspace over Jordan, Iraq and Jordan was temporarily closed on Saturday night as Tehran launched drones and missiles towards Israel.

Tracking data also showed flights largely avoiding Iranian airspace as the attack unfolded.

Four IDF soldiers have been wounded after a blast on the Lebanon-Israel border, the Times of Israel reports, citing the Israeli military. 

The military has said the incident took place during "operational activity" overnight and one soldier was seriously injured.

The cause of the blast is still under investigation.

With talk of an Israeli retaliation to Iran's massive attack on Saturday ,  our security and defence analyst Michael Clarke   has been providing his thoughts on what a response could look like.

He notes Benjamin Netanyahu's government have been saying for years "our real enemy is Iran".

"The Iranian revolution of 1979 set off an anti-Israel rhetoric across the region," he says.

He says he believes "there will be a response".

"The Israeli war cabinet met twice yesterday and the hardliners in the cabinet were putting a lot of pressure on to say 'We must have an assertive response to re-establish deterrence'."

How could Israel retaliate?

The response could be an air attack on Iran itself, Clarke says, but there are "logistical problems" there because aircraft would have to fly over Jordan and Iraq and "they won't get permission to do that".

They could also launch a missile strike.

"They wouldn't need overflight rights because missiles go high enough not really to be a problem but that would be less effective," he adds.

They might also try to hit Iranian interests in Iraq and Syria.

"That would be seen as a more moderate military response," he adds.

"Or they could try playing it diplomatically and just keep going to the UN and international organisations and say they want more condemnation - I don't think they'll do that because that's not in the DNA of this Israeli government."

There "should be a retaliation" by Israel to Iran's attack or Tehran could become "ever more brazen", an Israeli diplomat and politician has said.

Danny Ayalon, former Israeli deputy foreign minister, said he believes Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to de-escalate and has "other fish to fry" with the war in Gaza and the Hezbollah threat in the north.

But he added that "at some point there should be a retaliation" to Iran's drone and missile assault on Israel.

"Otherwise they become ever more brazen," he said.

"We have seen it, but I think... we have to be very calculated about the timing."

Mr Ayalon said Israel has no "direct conflict" with Iran but has defended itself against attacks from Iranian proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah. He added that Israel was not against the Iranian people, just the "extreme radical regime" in the country.

"It's the first time that Iran is [launching an attack] from their own territory - announcing it, so they are actually exposing themselves for the first time. So there should be ramifications," he said.

Palestinians displaced by Israel's military operation in Gaza are travelling north in hope of returning to their homes.

Hundreds of people, carrying bags of their belongings, are attempting to pass through an Israeli checkpoint in central Gaza.

Many are on foot, while some are being pulled along on a horse-drawn cart.

The situation in the Middle East is "incredibly serious" and if Israel retaliates against Iran there will be "huge ramifications", our security and defence editor Deborah Haynes  says.

Everyone in UK and US is hoping that Israel will not retaliate but there are voices inside Israel that "do want a strong retaliation".

But if they do there are "huge ramifications".

"There are huge concerns about triggering a regional war, potentially even a World War. This is a time when you've not only got conflict in the Middle East," she says.

"You have also got war raging in Europe."

Haynes says every time there is an "increased flare-up" of violence in the Middle East, it "distracts attention from the allies that are supporting Ukraine to the conflict in the Middle East".

She says: "It's a huge challenge."

The situation "is incredibly serious" right now and that is why "lots of effort is going on behind the scenes and publicly to try to contain this".

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says 33,797 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since 7 October.

A further 76,465 have been injured, the ministry said in a statement, adding that 68 Palestinians have died and 94 have been wounded in the past 24 hours.

The figures do not differentiate between civilian and military casualties.

An Israeli attack on Iran in response to the weekend's events could "open the Pandora's box to a broader conflict" in the Middle East, an expert has said.

Dr Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, told Sky News the ball is now "squarely Israel's court". 

She said Israeli officials will be weighing up whether to launch a counterstrike or pause to "reflect on next steps" and take a "more strategic and maybe gradual approach to pushing back against Iran" while it focuses on the war in Gaza.

Israel also has an opportunity now to "bask in the international support" it's seen since Saturday, Dr Vakil said.

She said it was unlikely that Israel would target Tehran's nuclear capability if it chose to attack.

"It might be looking for similar targets - a military compound, somewhere where it wouldn't incur civilian or broader infrastructural damage," Dr Vakil said.

"This again would be a counterstrike to enact that deterrence. But of course it would be very risky because it could open the Pandora's box to a broader conflict that we've all been fearing."

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US will not take part in any Israeli retaliatory action against Iran

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• Blinken and Austin speak to counterparts
• UN's Gutteres calls for de-escalation
• US says Iran will be held accountable
• Israel lifts some security measures

LITTLE SERIOUS DAMAGE

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Reporting by James MacKenzie and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Jeff Mason and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman and Nidal al-Mughrabi and Adam Makary in Cairo; Writing by Michael Georgy, Angus McDowall, David Morgan and Patricia Zengerle and Lincoln Feast; Editing by William Mallard, Sharon Singleton, William Maclean, Lisa Shumaker and Michael Perry

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Jeff Mason is a White House Correspondent for Reuters. He has covered the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2016-2017, leading the press corps in advocating for press freedom in the early days of the Trump administration. His and the WHCA's work was recognized with Deutsche Welle's "Freedom of Speech Award." Jeff has asked pointed questions of domestic and foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. He is a winner of the WHCA's “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure" award and co-winner of the Association for Business Journalists' "Breaking News" award. Jeff began his career in Frankfurt, Germany as a business reporter before being posted to Brussels, Belgium, where he covered the European Union. Jeff appears regularly on television and radio and teaches political journalism at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a former Fulbright scholar.

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