The United Kingdom is taking precautionary steps to reduce diplomatic staff in the Middle East amid escalating security concerns.

The U.K. government announced it has temporarily withdrawn its staff from Iran because of the deteriorating security situation.

In a statement issued Friday afternoon, the Foreign Office said: "Due to the ongoing security situation, we have taken the precautionary measure to temporarily withdraw U.K. staff from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely."

British officials described the move as temporary and precautionary, emphasizing that diplomatic operations will continue from outside the country.

Meanwhile, at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, nonemergency American personnel and their family members have been instructed to leave Israel due to safety risks. The State Department has not publicly detailed the specific threats prompting the decision but cited the overall security environment.

Essential U.S. staff will remain in place to maintain core embassy functions.

Such measures are typically implemented when governments assess that the safety of diplomatic personnel could be at risk due to regional instability or potential escalation.