The Foreign Office has issued an urgent travel alert for 16 nations, warning British nationals to take extra precautions amid heightened regional tensions. The alert covers popular holiday destinations including Turkey, Dubai, Cyprus, and Egypt, which are visited by hundreds of thousands of UK tourists each year.
The warning comes as Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for more than four hours early on Thursday, without explanation. International carriers were forced to divert around Iran, which lies on a key East-West flight route. The website SafeAirspace noted that several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace due to the risk of missile launches or misidentification of civil aircraft.
The Foreign Office stated: 'There is a heightened risk of regional tension. Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts. British nationals should take sensible precautions, considering their own individual circumstances.' The alert follows concerns that US military action against Iran could lead to further escalation, violence, and travel disruption across the region.
Iran has previously misidentified commercial aircraft as hostile targets. In 2020, Iranian air defence shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, killing all 176 people on board. The airspace closure coincided with reports that some personnel at a key US military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate, and the US Embassy in Kuwait ordered its personnel to temporarily halt visits to military bases.
US President Donald Trump made vague statements on Wednesday, saying he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, without providing details. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi urged the US to choose diplomacy over war. The crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed at least 2,615 people, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
