London: The United Kingdom has withdrawn its remaining diplomatic staff from Iran as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate, marked by a 12th consecutive night of US airstrikes, as reported by PA Media/dpa.
According to Nam News Network, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced the temporary withdrawal of UK personnel from Iran due to security concerns. The FCDO has emphasized that the UK embassy in Iran will continue to operate remotely. British nationals and dual British-Iranian nationals have been advised against traveling to Iran, as there is a significant risk of arrest, questioning, or detention in the current climate. This withdrawal mirrors a similar action taken in February prior to the commencement of US and Israeli military operations.
The US Central Command confirmed that the recent airstrikes aim to diminish Iran's capability to pose threats to civilian mariners and commercial vessels navigating regional waters. Missile strikes reportedly hit areas near Ahvaz, Ramshir, and Andimeshk in western Iran, as per Iranian state media reports. Meanwhile, Kuwait's military declared on social media platform X that its air defenses were actively engaging hostile drones in response to what it described as Iranian aggression.
US President Donald Trump had previously issued a stern warning, stating that retaliatory actions would target Iranian infrastructure, such as bridges or power plants, for each incident of Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared an "eye for an eye" policy, emphasizing Iran's readiness to respond decisively to any acts of aggression against its infrastructure.
The ongoing conflict included missile attacks by Iran on a Jordanian city and triggered alerts in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Iran's retaliation to US strikes has also involved targeting energy facilities and desalination plants in neighboring Gulf countries, actions that generally contravene international law unless the infrastructure is utilized for military operations.