Popular holiday destinations including Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt have been named in the alert
(Image: Getty Images)
The Foreign Office issued an urgent travel warning for 16 countries, raising serious concerns. The alert comes following developments in a region visited by hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers each year.
The new advisory affects popular holiday hotspots including Turkey, Dubai, Cyprus and Egypt, with officials urging travellers to ‘take extra precautions.’
This comes after Iran abruptly shut down its airspace to commercial flights early on Thursday without providing any explanation, amid continuing tensions with the United States over Tehran’s brutal crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.
The shutdown, which lasted more than four hours according to pilot guidance issued by Iran, impacted a critical East-West flight corridor. International airlines were compelled to reroute north and south around Iran. However, following one extension, the closure appeared to have lifted with multiple domestic flights taking off just after 7am local time.
Iran has previously shut its airspace during the 12-day conflict with Israel in June and during exchanges of fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. Nevertheless, there are no signs of current military action.
“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” said the website SafeAirspace, a resource offering information on conflict zones and air travel. “The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defense, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic.”
Fears are growing that possible military intervention by President Trump targeting Iran could spark broader regional tensions, potentially leading to violence and major disruption to travel plans.
In an updated advisory issued today, the Foreign Office cautioned: “There is a heightened risk of regional tension. Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts. Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts.
“British nationals should take sensible precautions, considering their own individual circumstances.”
Full list of countries in alert:
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
- Syria
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- Oman
- Libya
- Lebanon
- Kuwait
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Egypt
- Cyprus
- Bahrain
- Iran
Iran has a history of confusing civilian planes with military targets. Back in 2020, Iranian air defences mistakenly brought down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 with two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people on board.
For days afterwards, Iran vehemently denied shooting down the plane, branding such accusations as Western misinformation, before ultimately accepting culpability.
The airspace limitations have been put in place as selected personnel at a key American military base in Qatar were ordered to leave. At the same time, the US Embassy in Kuwait has directed its staff to “temporary halt” trips to various military sites throughout the compact Gulf nation.
US President Donald Trump left the world in suspense on Wednesday with a series of cryptic remarks, casting doubt over whether America would take action against Iran.
Addressing journalists, Mr Trump stated he had been informed that planned executions in Iran had been halted, though he provided scant details.
This shift in stance follows Mr Trump’s assurance to Iranian protesters the day before, promising that “help is on the way” and his administration would “act accordingly” in response to the Islamic Republic’s harsh crackdown.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to ease tensions, urging the US to opt for a diplomatic resolution.
When quizzed by Fox News about what message he would convey to Mr Trump, Mr Araghchi replied: “My message is: Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we don’t have any positive experience from the United States. But still diplomacy is much better than war.”
The mellowed rhetoric from both Washington and Tehran surfaced just hours after Iran’s judiciary chief demanded swift punishment for the thousands who have been detained.
Activists warned that the execution of detainees could be imminent. The ruthless response by security forces to the protests has resulted in at least 2,615 deaths, as reported by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The death toll surpasses any previous wave of protest or civil unrest in Iran in recent decades, harking back to the chaos during the nation’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.