Seven Nations Including France, Germany and Italy Advise Citizens to Leave Iran Amid Fears of Escalation
The US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, China, and Poland urged citizens to leave Iran amid rising tensions and security concerns linked to US-Iran negotiations and fears of potential escalation.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A growing number of countries have issued urgent advisories calling on their citizens to leave Iran immediately, as regional tensions intensify and concerns mount over the collapse of negotiations and the potential for military escalation in the Middle East.
On Friday, the US Embassy in Jerusalem announced that, due to security concerns, it had authorized the departure of certain staff members and their families from Israel. The decision differs from a mandatory order issued earlier this week for embassy personnel in Beirut, as in Israel the departure remains optional and at the discretion of employees.
The New York Times revealed that Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, wrote in an email to embassy staff: there is no need for fear or panic, but those who wish to leave should make and implement their travel plans immediately.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry announced that Israel remains in a state of war and strongly advised its citizens against traveling there. France also urged its nationals not to visit Israel, Jerusalem, or the West Bank, even for tourism or family visits, and called on them to avoid demonstrations.
Italy has also called on its citizens to leave Iran and avoid traveling to Iraq, as European governments intensify advisories amid heightened tensions across the Middle East.
The Italian Foreign Ministry stressed the necessity of leaving Iranian territory and urged Italian citizens not to travel to Iraq. The ministry also advised postponing travel to Lebanon.
In its statement, Rome said: “We call on our citizens in Israel to deal with the situation with caution and remain alert.”
France’s Foreign Ministry also urged its citizens not to travel to Israel. It also warned those present in Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank to “remain vigilant.”
In a separate development, the United Kingdom temporarily withdrew its diplomatic staff from Iran, citing the security situation amid concerns over a potential US strike. In a statement published on its website Friday, the British Foreign Office said: “Due to the security situation, our diplomatic staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely.” The ministry had previously announced in mid-January the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran.
China also advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran and urged those currently in the country to leave as soon as possible due to security concerns, according to a Reuters report citing China’s state news agency Xinhua. The advisory came amid heightened regional tensions linked to ongoing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued an urgent call for all Polish citizens to leave Iran without delay. Speaking at a press conference, Tusk said: “Everyone who is still in Iran must leave immediately, and under no circumstances should anyone plan to travel to that country.” He added: “The possibility of heated conflict is very real, and in a few, a dozen or several dozen hours, evacuation may no longer be an option.” This marks the second time in recent months that the Polish government has urged its citizens to leave Iran.
These measures come as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high amid ongoing nuclear negotiations, which diplomats hope will ease strains and prevent a military escalation.
In direct remarks to Kurdistan24, US President Donald Trump said he is “not exactly happy” with the way Iran is negotiating, stressing that Tehran cannot possess nuclear weapons and indicating that no final decision has yet been made if talks fail.
On Friday, Trump told Rahim Rashidi, Kurdistan24’s Washington bureau chief: “We haven’t made the final decision, we are not exactly happy with the way they are negotiating, they can’t have nuclear weapons, we are not thrilled with the way they are negotiating, we will see how it all go.”
The remarks addressed the status of negotiations with Iran and came as multiple governments began issuing urgent advisories to their citizens.