London: The United Kingdom has withdrawn its remaining diplomatic staff from Iran as tensions with the United States continued to rise, marked by a 12th consecutive night of airstrikes, PA Media/dpa reported. This decision was announced on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website, citing the deteriorating security situation in Iran. The statement clarified that while UK staff have been temporarily withdrawn, the embassy would continue its operations remotely.
According to Nam News Network, the FCDO has issued a travel advisory against all travel to Iran, highlighting the significant risk of arrest, questioning, or detention faced by British nationals and dual British-Iranian nationals. This withdrawal mirrors a similar precautionary measure taken in February, prior to the commencement of US and Israeli combat operations in the region.
US Central Command announced late Wednesday that the latest round of strikes aimed to further degrade Iran's capability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels navigating regional waters. Iranian state media reported that missiles struck near the western Iranian cities of Ahvaz, Ramshir, and Andimeshk.
Kuwait's army disclosed on platform X that its air defenses were actively engaging hostile drones in response to Iranian aggression. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reiterated a firm stance, warning that significant Iranian infrastructure, such as bridges or power plants, would be targeted for each attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared an "eye for an eye" strategy, promising a strong and decisive retaliation against any aggression towards Iran, including its infrastructure. This was echoed in his post on X, indicating that Iran is prepared to respond robustly.
The escalation saw air defenses over Tehran engaging on the 11th night of strikes. Iran reportedly launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city, triggering alerts in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. In retaliation to US attacks, Iran has targeted energy infrastructure and desalination plants in neighboring Gulf states, essential for civilian water supply. International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure serves military purposes.