The United Kingdom is preparing contingency plans to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East if regional airspace closures persist amid escalating military exchanges between Israel and the United States and Iran. The government currently advises citizens to remain where they are, but evacuation plans could be activated if it becomes clear that flight disruptions will continue for an extended period.

Officials are reportedly considering using Saudi Arabia, whose airspace remains open, as a departure point for evacuations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that at least 200,000 British citizens are in the region, including residents, tourists and transit passengers, and noted that Iranian strikes have hit airports and hotels where British nationals are staying.

The government has urged citizens in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the Palestinian territories to register with the Foreign Office. More than 94,000 people have done so, with the majority registering from the United Arab Emirates, many of them tourists.