The British government has issued a warning to its citizens, advising them to refrain from traveling to Iran due to increased risks of arrest and limited consular support. This advisory was updated by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Travelers are urged to avoid Iran altogether and reconsider their stay if they are already there. The advisory highlights a particularly high risk of detention for individuals holding dual British-Iranian citizenship, as possessing a British passport may lead to increased scrutiny and potential arrest.
“If you are near a protest or participating in one, you face the risk of arrest. Even if you avoid protests and crowds, British citizens encounter a very high risk of detention and interrogation in Iran,” the Foreign Office stated.
Furthermore, the UK’s consular support in Iran is currently restricted, making personal assistance in emergencies nearly impossible. The British embassy is operating remotely following a temporary evacuation of staff.
In a related development, Canada’s Foreign Ministry has also advised its citizens to avoid travel to Iran and to leave the country if it is safe to do so. Reports have emerged that China has similarly urged its citizens to evacuate amid deteriorating security conditions.
Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem has instructed its personnel to leave Israel due to escalating security risks linked to the situation in Iran.
Protests in Iran began on December 28 in response to soaring prices and the devaluation of the national currency, quickly transforming into a broader movement against the theocratic regime that has ruled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for the protests, threatening assistance to demonstrators if the unrest continues, while Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that Iran would not yield to its enemies. In response, the U.S. has imposed new sanctions on Iran and deployed a naval strike group to the region amid rising tensions.
Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, has called on Iranians to seize government buildings and urged the diaspora to replace the Islamic Republic’s flags at embassies with national ones. He has promised to abandon Iran’s nuclear program and recognize Israel if the regime falls.
Several countries, including Poland, the U.S., and Sweden, have advised their citizens to leave Iran, while France has evacuated some of its diplomats. The UK has imposed new sanctions against Iran and temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran, a move echoed by Ukraine.
The Iranian government has reported 5,000 deaths during the protests, while the human rights group HRANA has confirmed 3,308 fatalities and over 24,000 arrests, with an additional 4,382 deaths pending verification. Unverified estimates suggest that the death toll may range from 2,000 to 20,000. Access to reliable information has been severely hampered due to a nationwide internet blackout that began on January 8, with 99% of internet connections reportedly blocked, making independent verification of these figures challenging.
The UK has advised its citizens against traveling to Iran due to heightened risks of arrest and limited consular support. This warning follows similar advisories from Canada and China amid ongoing protests and security concerns in the country.