Among them are Britain, America, and Germany... Western and Asian countries are calling on their citizens to leave the Middle East.

Written by: Ayman Ragab

Amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, and growing fears of a military confrontation, several countries have begun taking precautionary measures, including withdrawing diplomats and non-essential staff from Iran and Israel, as well as issuing warnings to their citizens to leave the two countries and postpone travel to them.

US

The U.S. Embassy in Israel issued a security notice Friday giving non-essential staff and their families the option to leave the country for safety reasons. It also warned of the possibility of additional restrictions on the movement of its employees, including in certain areas of Jerusalem, including the Old City, and the West Bank, and urged U.S. citizens to leave Israel while commercial flights are still available.

Britain

The British Foreign Office announced on Friday the temporary withdrawal of its diplomatic staff from Iran due to threats related to a possible US strike. It clarified that the embassy would continue its work remotely. As a precaution, it also relocated some staff and their families from Tel Aviv to another location within Israel and advised against all but essential travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

France

The French Foreign Ministry has urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank due to security tensions, and called on French citizens already there to exercise extreme caution and identify shelters in advance.

Italy

The Italian Foreign Ministry urged its citizens in Iran, especially those whose presence there is not essential, to leave. It also advised against travel to Iraq and Lebanon due to the ongoing security instability. Furthermore, it recommended that Italians in Israel exercise extreme caution and be prepared for any developments.

Germany

The German Foreign Ministry has issued a warning to its citizens against traveling to Israel, and last month stressed the need for German citizens to leave Iran via commercial flights or available land crossings.

China
China has urged its citizens to leave Iran as soon as possible, and has also asked its nationals in Israel to raise their level of preparedness, in light of what it described as a significant increase in security risks in the region.

Canada

The Canadian government, through its “Travel Guide” account on the “X” platform, called on Canadian citizens in Iran to leave the country immediately if possible, noting that conflicts in the region could reignite without warning.

Australia

Australia has given its diplomats in Israel and Lebanon, as well as their families, the option of immediate or voluntary departure due to the deteriorating security situation. It has also advised its citizens in Israel and Lebanon to consider leaving while commercial flights are still available.

Serbia

Serbia has urged its citizens in Iran to leave as soon as possible, warning of rising tensions and a high likelihood of a deteriorating security situation.

Poland

The Polish Foreign Ministry has called on its citizens to leave Iran, Israel and Lebanon immediately, due to the tense security situation in the Middle East region.

Last week, the Indian embassy in Tehran advised Indian citizens to leave Iran using available means of transportation, while Cyprus had called on its citizens in January to avoid traveling to Iran and to leave immediately.