A growing number of governments are urging their citizens to leave Iran and Israel immediately, warning that a rapidly deteriorating security environment in the Middle East could spiral into open conflict at any moment.

The cascade of travel advisories and diplomatic withdrawals on Friday underscores mounting fears that war between the U.S./Israel and Iran may be imminent.

Poland’s foreign ministry called on its nationals to depart Iran, Israel and Lebanon without delay, citing what it described as a highly unstable regional situation.

“The security situation in the Middle East is unstable. The risk of escalation is high,” the ministry said in posts on X. “Airspace for civilian traffic may be closed. Return by air may be impossible or significantly hindered.”

Britain moved to reduce its diplomatic footprint in the region. The U.K. Foreign Office said it had temporarily withdrawn embassy staff from Iran due to the current “security situation,” adding that operations would continue remotely.

In Israel, London relocated some of its diplomatic staff and their dependents from Tel Aviv to another location within the country as a precaution.

“We have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily move some of our staff and their dependents from Tel Aviv to another location within Israel,” the Foreign Office said, warning that the situation “could escalate quickly and poses significant risks.”

France reiterated its advice for nationals not to travel to Israel or the West Bank — even for tourism or family visits — citing the security situation tied to rising tensions with Iran. French citizens already in the area were urged to exercise “great vigilance and prudence,” avoid demonstrations and identify nearby shelters.

Germany, too, is “urgently” advising against travel to Israel and East Jerusalem amid increasing tensions. Italy’s foreign ministry similarly urged its citizens to leave Iran if their presence was not strictly necessary and advised extreme caution across the broader region, including Iraq and Lebanon.

China issued parallel warnings. Its embassy in Israel called on Chinese nationals to strengthen security precautions and emergency preparedness, advising them to avoid unnecessary travel and closely follow official updates. Earlier Friday, Beijing urged its citizens to avoid travel to Iran altogether and called on those currently in the country to evacuate “as soon as possible.”

Air travel is already beginning to feel the strain.

Istanbul Airport announced that multiple flights to Tehran had been canceled Friday night amid the mounting U.S. military buildup around Iran. Flights operated by Turkish Airlines and two Iranian carriers were scrubbed, with additional cancellations scheduled for Saturday. A Turkish Airlines flight to the northern Iranian city of Tabriz was also called off.

While no formal declaration of hostilities has been made, the steady drumbeat of evacuations, airspace disruptions and diplomatic pullbacks suggests that governments are preparing for the possibility that events could escalate with little notice.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)