Britain said on Friday it had temporarily withdrawn its embassy staff from Iran, citing heightened security concerns in the region.
The Foreign Office said its ability to assist British nationals was now крайне limited, with the embassy operating remotely and no in-person consular services available, even in emergency situations.
The move comes amid repeated threats from Donald Trump to launch military strikes against Iran, as the United States carries out one of its largest military deployments to the region in decades.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK was “supporting the political process” between Washington and Tehran.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Jerusalem announced it was authorizing the departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families from Israel due to safety concerns.
In a statement posted on its website, the embassy said the State Department had approved the departures on February 27, 2026, and advised that individuals may wish to leave Israel while commercial flights remain available.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee emailed staff on Friday morning urging those who wanted to leave to do so “today,” according to The New York Times. He reportedly advised employees to secure travel out of the country as quickly as possible, prioritizing immediate departure before arranging onward travel to Washington.
Trump, who ordered strikes on Iran last year, has repeatedly warned Tehran of further military action if it refuses to reach an agreement with the United States.
Iran said Friday that any deal would require Washington to abandon what it called “excessive demands,” tempering earlier optimism surrounding Oman-mediated talks viewed as a last-ditch effort to avoid conflict. Diplomatic negotiations between American and Iranian officials broke down on Thursday in Geneva over disputes related to Tehran’s nuclear programme, despite mediation efforts by Oman.
