Brits are being urged not to travel to parts of Iran and Iraq following the assassination of a top military figure.
The death of Iranian senior commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike yesterday has led to fears of retaliation.
Now the Foreign Office has issued a warning to Brits and advised not to travel within the border over “heightened tensions”.
The Government body said: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise all British nationals against all travel to:
• within 100km of the entire Iran/Afghanistan border
• within 10km of the entire Iran/Iraq border
• the province of Sistan-Baluchistan
• the area east of the line running from Bam to Jask, including Bam
“The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the rest of Iran.
“However, for British-Iranian dual nationals the FCO advise against all travel to Iran. If you’re in Iran, you should consider carefully your need to remain. If your continued presence is not essential, you should consider leaving.
Meanwhile, thousands of mourners gathered in Baghdad this morning ahead of a funeral procession for slain military commander Soleimani, Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and others killed in the U.S. air strike.
Friday’s attack on Baghdad airport, authorised by U.S. President Donald Trump, was a major escalation in a “shadow war” in the Middle East between Iran and the United States and American allies, principally Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Soleimani was Tehran’s most prominent military commander and the architect of its growing influence in the Middle East.
