23rd Jul 2026 06:35
(Alliance News) - The UK has withdrawn remaining diplomatic staff from Iran as the conflict with the US continued to escalate with a 12th night of airstrikes.
A statement on the Foreign Office, FCDO, website said: "Due to the security situation, UK staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran.
"Our embassy continues to operate remotely."
The FCDO advises against all travel to Iran, saying British and dual British-Iranian residents face "significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention".
A similar move was made in February ahead of the start of US and Israeli combat operations.
US Central Command said late on Wednesday that the 12th night of attacks was designed to "further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters".
Announcing the end of the latest wave of strikes on Thursday morning, they said US forces struck military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites and air defence assets.
"The strikes further degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels," they said on X.
Missiles struck near the cities of Ahvaz, Ramshir and Andimeshk in western Iran, according to Iranian state media, who said two people were killed in the town of Shalamcheh on the Iraqi border.
Kuwait's army said on X that the country's air defences were "confronting attacks by hostile drones, following the sinful Iranian aggression".
US President Donald Trump had warned earlier that one bridge or power plant would be destroyed for each ship shot at by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.
"From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the US will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT," Trump wrote on social media.
Foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also said an "eye for an eye" approach would be adopted by Iran.
"Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response," he posted on X on Wednesday.
The 11th night of strikes on Iran into Wednesday saw air defences opening fire over the capital Tehran.
Iran launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city while alerts were sounded in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Iran has responded to US attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and desalination plants which provide drinking water in neighbouring Gulf countries.
International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure is being used for military purposes.
By Rob Freeman, Press Association
Press Association: News
source: PA
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