The British government has escalated its travel advisory for Israel to the highest red alert level, urging citizens to avoid all travel to the country. This decision, announced by the Foreign Office, marks a significant shift from the previous 'amber' tier, which advised against all but essential travel. The change comes amidst intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran, characterized by ongoing ballistic missile barrages and retaliatory strikes. Areas such as Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights were already designated as red zones, but the updated warning now extends to the entire nation.

The heightened alert is a direct consequence of a second night of ballistic missile attacks from Iran, following Israel's initial surprise assault on Iranian air defenses and nuclear facilities. Israel's health ministry reported 12 fatalities over a single day, bringing the total to 15 since Friday, with 385 people seeking hospital treatment for injuries overnight. Iran's health minister claimed that most casualties from Israeli strikes were civilians, primarily women and children, although Iran has not provided an overall count of its casualties.

The conflict commenced early on Friday morning when Israel launched an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, experts, military capabilities, and leadership, with the IDF confirming 29 senior Revolutionary Guard leaders killed. Iran retaliated with drones, which were intercepted by Israeli defense systems, followed by waves of ballistic missiles on Friday and Saturday nights, causing explosions in major Israeli cities like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa. The United States has confirmed its assistance in defending Israel against missile barrages but is not participating in Israel's offensive strikes against Iran.

In response to the escalating tensions, the UK government is deploying additional military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East. This measure is described as precautionary to protect existing UK assets in the region. While the Prime Minister refrained from confirming whether UK forces would defend Israel from future Iranian attacks, the Chancellor stated that the government is "not ruling anything out." However, UK officials emphasize that sending military assets does not signify involvement in the strikes or the conflict, and their primary aim is de-escalation. Iran has also issued a warning, threatening to target British, American, and French military bases and naval assets in the region should they intervene to defend Israel.

The closure of Israel's airspace and cancellations by El Al, Israel's national airline, until June 23 for flights to various European cities, Tokyo, and Moscow, mean few people are likely attempting travel. The upgraded travel advice is also expected to impact travel insurance policies. Thousands of British nationals are reportedly in Israel, and British authorities are said to be developing contingency plans for a potential evacuation given the deteriorating security situation.