LONDON: The British government on Saturday advised UK nationals to avoid traveling to Iraq and Iran in face of heightened tensions in the Middle East following the US killing of a top Iranian commander in Baghdad.

鈥淔ollowing the death of Qassem Soleimani and heightened tensions in the region... We now advise British nationals against all travel to Iraq (and) we now advise against all but essential travel to Iran,鈥� Britain鈥檚 Foreign Office said in a statement.
鈥淭he first job of any government is to keep British people safe,鈥� the statement said.

鈥淕iven heightened tensions in the region, (we) now advise people not to travel to Iraq, with the exception of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and to consider carefully whether it鈥檚 essential to travel to Iran. We will keep this under review.鈥�
On Friday, the in an air strike outside Baghdad international airport that shocked the Islamic republic and sparked fears of a new war in the Middle East.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the death of the commander of its Quds Force foreign operations arm, and Tehran鈥檚 clerical leadership promised 鈥渟evere vengeance... in the right place and time.鈥�
In its statement, the British Foreign Office urged UK nationals in the region to 鈥渞emain vigilant and monitor the media carefully.鈥�
On Friday, foreign minister Dominic Raab had said that while London had 鈥渁lways recognized the aggressive threat鈥� posed by Soleimani and his Quds Force, 鈥渇ollowing his death, we urge all parties to de-escalate. Further conflict is in none of our interests.鈥�