Brits jetting off to 18 countries, including popular holiday destinations Egypt, Morocco, Dubai, Cyprus and Turkey, have been warned to be extra cautious by the Foreign Office amid fears of violence.
UK government officials have issued a critical update for those travelling to Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, The Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel, Libya, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. Following recent Israeli attacks on Iran, officials have warned of a potential escalation in violence in the region.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office warned: “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).” They added: “Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region. On 1 October, Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. On 26 October, Israel carried out military action against Iran.
“Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast. Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also get email notifications when this travel advice is updated. Read FCDO advice if you’re affected by a crisis abroad.”
As per the Daily Record, the Foreign Office has also issued a specific alert for Turkey following a devastating attack that caused multiple deaths. The stark notification revealed: “On 23 October there was a terrorist attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries’ facility in Kahramankazan, 40km northwest of central Ankara, which resulted in 5 deaths and 22 injuries, as well as the deaths of the two assailants.”
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Anadolu via Getty Images)
The statement added: “While the incident has ended, the response is ongoing, including increased security measures at Turkish airports, which means security checks will take longer than normal. If you are in the area near the attack, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local media.”
Israel launched pre-dawn airstrikes on Iran on Saturday claiming it was in retaliation for the Islamic Republic’s earlier ballistic missile attacks on Israel. The Israeli military claimed it targeted Iranian facilities used to manufacture missiles launched at Israel, in addition to surface-to-air missile sites.
Despite the tensions, there were no immediate reports suggesting oil or missile sites were affected – outcomes that would represent a steep escalation – whilst Israel did not share any immediate damage assessment.
Loud explosions were reported in Tehran; however, Iran maintained that only “limited damage” occurred and state-run media minimized the severity of the Israeli airstrikes.
However, these strikes risk escalating the conflict between the arch-enemies towards a full-blown war. This comes at a time when violence is already spiralling across the Middle East, with Iran-backed militant groups such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon engaged in warfare with Israel.
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