More than 100,000 Britons are stranded across the Gulf region after airspace closures and ongoing Iranian missile and drone strikes disrupted travel. The UK government is exploring all options to bring citizens home safely, including commercial, charter and military flights, as well as bus evacuations across land borders into Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said the safety of British nationals is the government’s top priority, describing Iranian strikes on Gulf allies as “increasingly reckless” and directly putting British lives at risk. The Foreign Office has set up 24/7 consular support and deployed extra staff to assist the travel industry and governments in managing the fast-evolving situation.
With more than 200,000 Britons believed to be in the region, half of whom have registered with the Foreign Office, the quickest route home would be the resumption of commercial flights. A few passenger planes were due to depart from Abu Dhabi and Dubai on Monday evening, but thousands remain stuck in transit. However, passenger jets remain risky while Iranian airstrikes continue, and military evacuations could be even more dangerous.
The UK has contingency plans to bus people to Saudi Arabia if UAE airspace remains closed, and a more limited route through Turkey for those elsewhere in the Middle East. The UAE government is currently covering hotel and meal costs for stranded travellers, but it is unclear if this will continue long-term.
The Foreign Office has advised against travel to Iran, Israel and Palestine, and against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. Sir Simon Fraser, former head of the Foreign Office, warned that evacuating all British nationals from Gulf states without commercial flights would be “extraordinarily hard and complex,” given that Gulf airlines now dominate the region’s skies.
