Fears are growing a US attack on Iran is imminent (Image: Getty)
The UK announced on Friday it had withdrawn its staff from Iran, citing the security situation in the region. Fears grow a US attack against the Tehran regime may be imminent, after weeks of threats to the country coming from Donald Trump. On February 27, Britain’s Foreign Office said it has “temporarily” withdrawn its staff and its ability to assist British nationals was now extremely limited, with the embassy operating remotely and no in-person consular support available even in emergencies.
An update to official travel advice on Friday said: “Due to the ongoing security situation, we have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw UK staff from Iran.” It added that the British embassy “continues to operate remotely” after it was closed in mid-January. The Foreign Office also said some UK diplomatic staff and their dependents have been moved from Tel Aviv to another location in Israel, amid mounting concern about the security situation in the Middle East.
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The decision to withdraw UK staff comes a day after talks between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme ended without agreement, and after Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to strike Iran and started a massive military build-up in the area.
Mr Trump has previously threatened to take military action against Iran if it does not reach a deal on its nuclear programme, and the US has spent the last month amassing a fleet of aircraft and warships in the region.
Iran has in turn threatened to attack US military bases in the Middle East as well as Israel, raising the risk that military action could trigger another regional war. On Friday, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told his staff they could leave the country if they wanted to, warning that flights might not be available “over the coming days”.
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Demonstrators carrying a photo of Ayatollah Khomeini. (Image: Getty)
The UK does not appear to have withdrawn any staff from Israel, but continues to advise against travel to some parts of the country for security reasons.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was focused on “supporting the political process” between Washington and Tehran. The UK is reported to have blocked a request from Mr Trump to use the Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands in the event that he decides to launch a military campaign against Iran, due to concerns it would breach international law.
Iran has recently threatened to hit the US hinting it could strike several military bases in the area. Last week, Iraninan state media released a video, seemingly AI-generated, to pinpoint the Muwaffaq Salti base, located in Jordan, for obliteration.
On February 12, Al-Alam news channel, owned by the state-owned media corporation Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, shared a video on X indicating the US military base of Eskan Village in Saudi Arabia as a surveilled target.
Posting on X, the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem account said « the Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks ».
The message also read: « In response to security incidents and without advance notice, the U.S. Embassy may further restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from traveling to certain areas of Israel, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the West Bank. Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available. »
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