By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News.com | Foreign Affairs | 15 June 2025
The United Kingdom has placed Israel on its official red travel list as the conflict between Jerusalem and Tehran spirals into a major regional crisis, grounding flights and potentially stranding thousands of British citizens in the region.
The UK Foreign Office updated its guidance over the weekend, warning against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories — elevating the advisory to the highest alert level, placing Israel alongside Iran in terms of risk. “If you are already in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, follow local authorities’ advice,” the website now reads.
This sharp escalation in official policy follows a series of Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites late Friday, triggering a furious Iranian response that has already left scores dead and infrastructure across both countries in ruins.
Civilians Trapped as Flights Cancelled
With Israeli airspace effectively shut down and land routes out of the country closed, many British nationals in Israel now face serious challenges returning home.
Several airlines, including WizzAir, have suspended operations and are offering rebooking options or full refunds.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to absorb retaliatory fire. In the coastal city of Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv, Iranian missile strikes on Sunday killed six people and wounded nearly 200.
Rescue teams spent hours combing through rubble in search of survivors. Elsewhere, four people were reportedly killed in a separate attack in northern Israel.
In response, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning, vowing that Israeli forces would “continue to peel the skin off the Iranian snake in Tehran and everywhere,” accusing Iran’s leadership of sacrificing its citizens to maintain power.
High Civilian Toll in Iran
Iranian authorities claim the Israeli strikes have resulted in 78 deaths and over 320 injuries since Friday, many of them among military leadership and nuclear scientists.
In one of the deadliest incidents, Iranian state media said 60 civilians, including 20 children, were killed in a strike on a residential building in Tehran. Satellite images and videos circulating on social media appeared to show a massive blaze at the Shahran oil depot, reportedly caused by an Israeli missile.
In a rare move, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used its Farsi-language X (formerly Twitter) account to warn Iranian civilians to evacuate areas near weapons manufacturing or military support facilities.
“Your presence next to this infrastructure puts your life at risk,” the message read. The IDF also posted the same message in English, emphasizing that while Iran strikes without warning, Israel is alerting civilians even at the cost of tactical surprise.
UK Sends RAF Jets, Cautions Against Escalation
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the deployment of additional RAF fighter jets to the region, calling it a “contingency support” move. While en route to the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, Starmer underscored the UK’s commitment to regional stability but warned of the growing threat to British interests.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, speaking to both Sky News and BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, clarified that the jet deployment “does not mean we are at war” but is meant to “protect UK personnel and bases” across the region. She added that the Treasury is “not complacent” about the potential economic fallout, including surging oil prices and disrupted global trade routes.
“The concerns are around shipping routes, both for oil and gas exports, but also more widely because so much goods trade passes through the Middle East,” Reeves said, warning of potential price hikes for fuel and consumer goods in the UK.
International Responses and U.S. Position
Former U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to distance the U.S. from the latest Israeli offensive, declaring, “We had nothing to do with it.” However, he warned Tehran not to target American assets: “If we are attacked in any way… the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.”
Despite the bellicose rhetoric, Trump claimed that a peaceful resolution was possible. “We can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel and end this bloody conflict!!!” he posted.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian impact of the intensifying hostilities continues to raise alarm. Chef and environmental campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, also speaking on the BBC, said the crisis was an “absolute disaster” for the people of Gaza and condemned the postponement of a UN conference that had been expected to address Palestinian statehood.
Category: Middle East Conflict | Published by M10News.com
