Britain closes embassy in Iran, US evacuates bases in the Middle East

The British government announced that it has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran. "Its operations will now be conducted remotely. The Foreign Office's travel advice has been updated to reflect this consular change," a government spokesperson said.

The British ambassador and all consular staff have been evacuated based on a security assessment and a decision to prioritize the safety of staff, the British official said.

This comes at a time when the Iranian leadership is trying to suppress internal unrest and US President Donald Trump is threatening intervention.

Britain and the United States have withdrawn some personnel from bases in the Middle East after a senior Iranian official reported Tehran's warning to neighboring countries that it would attack US bases if Washington launched a strike.

German authorities have issued a directive warning the country's airlines against entering Iranian airspace, Flightradar24 reported on Wednesday.

Poland and Italy have called on their citizens to leave Iran immediately due to the security situation in the country. Warsaw also advises against any travel to the country.

(reuters, luc)