UK Foreign Office Advises Citizens Against Iraq, Iran Travel After Soleimani’s Killing

LONDON (Sputnik) - The UK Foreign Office advised British citizens against all travel to Iraq, and against all but essential travel to Iran, the office said in a statement on Saturday, specifying that new measures were introduced following the killing of the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani.

"Following the death of Qasem Soleimani and heightened tensions in the region, we have decided to update our travel advice for Iraq and Iran. We now advise British nationals against all travel to Iraq, outside of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where we continue to advise against all but essential travel. We now advise against all but essential travel to Iran. We urge those British nationals in the region to remain vigilant and monitor the media carefully," the office said.

UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Dominic Raab said that the main priority for this decision was the safety of British people, according to the statement.

The Canadian government also previously updated its travel advisory for Iraq and urged all citizens to leave the country.

In the earlier hours of Friday, Soleimani was killed by a US drone attack near the Baghdad International Airport. US President Donald Trump said Washington took preemptive action against Soleimani to "stop a war." Nonetheless, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that a "harsh retaliation is waiting" for the United States.