The UK government has withdrawn its staff from Iran, as the US advises embassy officials in Israel they can leave while “commercial flights are available”.
The British government said on Friday the temporary precautionary measure had been taken due to the ongoing security situation in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told embassy employees in an email that a decision had been made to authorise departures for non-essential personnel and their families who wished to leave.
Mr Huckabee said in the email that staff who wish to leave should do so that day, adding “there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be”.
“Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available,” the US embassy said.
The travel warnings are one of the strongest indications yet that a regional conflict could be imminent, as the threat of US military strikes on Iran looms.
They come just a day after talks between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme ended without an agreement.
In a travel advice update on Friday, Britain’s foreign office said the temporary and precautionary measure had been taken because of the “ongoing security situation” in the region.
“We have temporarily closed the British Embassy in Tehran, this will now operate remotely,” a government spokesperson said.
“Foreign Office travel advice has now been updated to reflect this change.”
The UK does not appear to have withdrawn any staff from Israel, but continues to advise against travel to parts of the country over security concerns.
It was also revealed on Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel early next week to “discuss a range of regional priorities including Iran, Lebanon, and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza”.
The announcement suggested a longer timeframe for US any military action.
Donald Trump set out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday.
The treat of US strikes looms over Iran. Pic: AP
The US president said while he preferred a diplomatic solution, he would not allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Mr Trump has previously threatened to take military action against Iran if a deal is not reached.
The US has spent the last month amassing a fleet of aircraft and warships in the region.
Iran has in turn threatened to attack Israel, raising the risk that military action could trigger another regional war.
It also insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and denies pursuing a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, a confidential report from the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed that Iran has not offered inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites since they were bombed during the 12-day war launched by Israel last June.
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This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicated wire feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been modified or edited by Doonited
