The UK government has updated its travel advisory for 18 countries after Israel’s recent military airstrikes against Iran. Amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, United Kingdom’s Foreign Office warned travellers against venturing into several popular tourist spots.
The UK government warned commuters against making travel plans to a total of 18 countries. The warnings issued on October 26, caution holidaymakers against planning their tours to 18 countries, including 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.
Cautioning travellers and urging them to take precautions, the advisory states, “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).” UK Foreign Office said ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon “could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region.”
Pointing to the uncertain situation in the Middle East, the advisory states, “On October 1, Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. On October 26, Israel carried out military action against Iran.”
Furthermore, the advisory urged travellers to closely monitor this travel advice and other media considering the drastically changing situation. It recommended travellers to 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,” the travel warning states.
A separate travel advisory was issued for Turkey, which witnessed a terrorist attack on October 23. The attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries’ facility in Kahramankazan left 22 injured and 5 dead. Two of the assailants also died in the incident. If you are in the area near the attack, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local media, the advisory said. According to the travel warning, the response is ongoing and there is increased security at Turkish airports. This will mean longer wait time at security checks.