The Foreign Office is now advising against all but essential travel to Israel and it has issued warnings for travel to several other countries in the Middle East, including Dubai and the rest of the UAE, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, Oman, Jordan and Qatar.
In updates issued on Wednesday evening for at least 18 countries, the Foreign Office said there is ‘a heightened risk of regional tension’. It added: “Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts.”
The Foreign Office said it is advising against non-essential travel to Israel and it is continuing to advise against all travel to some parts of Israel and Palestine.
While it is not advising against travel to the UAE, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, Oman, Jordan and Qatar, it said British citizens visiting countries in the Middle East should ‘take sensible precautions’.
The same advice was issued for Britons visiting Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Iraq and Libya.
These include reading the UK Government’s advice on what to do if affected by a crisis abroad, signing up to Foreign Office alerts, monitoring local media for updates, following the instructions of local authorities and keeping clear of security or military facilities.
The advice follows threats by both Iran and the US to carry out air strikes in the region following days of violence in Iran.
