Britain evacuates staff from Iran

Britain said on Friday it had temporarily evacuated its embassy staff from Iran citing the security situation in the region.

Britain's foreign office said its ability to assist British nationals was now extremely limited, with the embassy operating remotely and no in-person consular support available even in emergencies. 

The announcement follows repeated threats from President Donald Trump to strike Iran, and with the United States conducting its biggest military build-up in the region in decades.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was 'supporting the political process' between Washington and Tehran. 

The US embassy in Jerusalem also announced on Friday it was allowing non-emergency government personnel and family members to leave Israel 'due to safety risks.' 

'On February 27, 2026, the Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members of US government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks,' the embassy said on its website.

'Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available,' it added.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee sent an email to embassy staff on Friday morning saying that those wishing to leave 'should do do TODAY', the New York Times reports.

'Focus on getting a seat to anyplace from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of country,' he was quoted as writing.

Trump, who ordered strikes on Iran last year, has repeatedly threatened Tehran with fresh military action if it does not cut a deal with the United States. 

Iran said Friday that in order to reach a deal, the US will have to drop its 'excessive demands', tempering the optimism expressed after ongoing Oman-mediated talks seen as a last-ditch bid to avert war.

It comes after diplomatic negotiations between American and Iranian officials collapsed on Thursday in Geneva amid disputes over the Islamic regime's nuclear program.

The latest round of talks ended without a deal as both sides remained divided over key issues, including ending uranium enrichment, and dismantling Iran's nuclear facilities, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are leading the American delegation as the President makes one last push for a diplomatic solution to avoid military conflict with Iran.

Trump on February 19 gave Iran 15 days to reach a deal, and while Iran has insisted the discussions focus solely on its nuclear programme, the US wants Tehran's missile programme and its support for militant groups curtailed.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, is expected to arrive off the coast of northern Israel on Friday as part of the build-up. 

Washington has also approved the deployment of an experimental US military drone unit capable of self-detonation, known as Task Force Scorpion, according to Bloomberg.

The deadly drone unit is a part of Trump's massive military build-up in the Middle East - the largest since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The Kamikaze drone unit was successful tested in the Arabian Gulf in December and reportedly cost approximately $35,000 per drone. 

The drones would likely be used to target Iranian nuclear facilities, road networks, and missile launch sites.

'We established the squadron last year to rapidly equip our warfighters with new combat drone capabilities that continue to evolve,' said US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins.

The drones, which are produced in Arizona, are designed for one-way attacks, reconnaissance operations and maritime strikes.

Trump's new aerial weapons have 'an extensive range and are designed to operate autonomously.'

The new advanced drones stand ready as Trump promises to strike Iran if diplomatic talks fail.

The US has also sent advanced F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Israel on standby for deployment.

Meanwhile, Washington currently has more than a dozen warships in the Middle East: one aircraft carrier - the USS Abraham Lincoln - nine destroyers and three other combat ships.

It is rare for there to be two US aircraft carriers, which carry dozens of warplanes and are crewed by thousands of sailors, in the region.

Trump said in his State of the Union address that he wants to strike a deal with the Ayatollah guaranteeing Tehran will never develop a nuclear bomb, but warned he is prepared for war if diplomacy fails.

'We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven't heard those secret words: "We will never have a nuclear weapon."'

'My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy,' Trump added as lawmakers applauded. 

'But one thing is certain I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror to which they are by far to have a nuclear weapon. Can't let that happen.'