Overview
- The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office issued refreshed guidance on January 14 for 18 countries, warning of a “heightened risk of regional tension” and possible travel disruption.
- Embassy personnel have been withdrawn from Tehran with operations moving remote, and The Independent reports a separate staff withdrawal from a UK military facility in Qatar.
- The advisory urges British nationals to take sensible precautions, sign up for FCDO alerts, monitor local and international media, and avoid areas near security or military facilities.
- For Iran, the FCDO states British nationals face a very high risk of arrest, questioning and detention, and notes that in-person consular support may be severely limited where travel is advised against.
- Rights groups and media reports describe thousands of deaths, mass arrests and severe internet restrictions during Iran’s crackdown, which officials say underpins the broader regional risk guidance.