UK government charter flight set to evacuate British nationals from Oman 'in the coming days'

LONDON

Britain’s foreign minister said Tuesday that a government charter flight will take off from the Gulf state of Oman “in the coming days” to help evacuate vulnerable British nationals.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Yvette Cooper said Britain is working with airlines to increase capacity out of Oman’s capital Muscat and prioritize those most in need.

“We are also working with airlines on increasing capacity out of Muscat for British nationals, with priority for vulnerable nationals,” she said.

“A government charter flight will fly from Muscat in the coming days, prioritizing vulnerable nationals, but British nationals in Oman must wait to be contacted by the Foreign Office regarding these options.”

Cooper said she was in close contact with counterparts in Gulf countries, where 130,000 British citizens have registered their presence.

She added that vulnerable nationals would be prioritized as efforts continue to assist those seeking to leave.

The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US-linked sites in Gulf countries.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to destroy Iran's missiles, raze its missile industry to the ground, and annihilate the navy, reiterating that it cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The strikes came as talks between Washington and Tehran over the latter's nuclear program were ongoing under Oman’s mediation.