Britain prepares to evacuate 94,000 citizens from the Middle East

Britain is preparing to evacuate at least 94,000 of its citizens from the Middle East who have registered their contact details with the Foreign Office amid escalating regional tensions, according to reporting by the Daily Mail.

The majority of British nationals in the region are tourists, either on holiday in the Middle East or en route to other destinations. The evacuation represents an unprecedented scale of operation, led by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, with British authorities negotiating with major Arab airlines to secure their cooperation.

The escalation in the region follows recent military action. The United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Saturday, 28 February, against Iranian targets, including sites in Teheran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes, firing missiles at Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East in what it characterised as self-defence measures.

The attacks on Iran occurred despite ongoing negotiations this week, mediated by Oman, between Washington and Teheran regarding Iran’s nuclear programme in Geneva, Switzerland.