UPDATE - Belgian defense minister leaves door open to military engagement in Middle East

ADDS REMARKS FROM FOREIGN MINISTER, CHANGES DECK

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken signaled Tuesday that Belgium could potentially take part in military operations in the Middle East while confirming that the government is preparing to evacuate its citizens in the region.

Francken told broadcaster RTL Info that officials are deeply concerned about Belgian nationals caught amid rising tensions.

He noted that military evacuation operations are planned "in the coming days" and will begin "as soon as possible," echoing Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot's briefing to parliament.

While the focus is on evacuation, he did not rule out a broader military role.

"We'll see...Maybe," he said when asked if Belgium might engage militarily in the conflict.

Separately​​​​​​​, Prevot told broadcaster VRT that Belgium remains open to the possibility of providing military support in the Gulf.

"We must remain vigilant in case our Gulf allies request our support and that of Europe. For the moment, this is not the case, but the Gulf countries have not yet retaliated against the missile attacks launched against them," he said.

Asked what form potential support could take, Prevot said it could involve air assistance.

Tensions have escalated across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack Saturday on Iran, killing nearly 800 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries, which are home to US military assets.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has reiterated that the alliance is not involved in the conflict.

Meanwhile, the Spanish government confirmed that the US has neither used nor intends to use Spanish military bases to carry out attacks against Iran.

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